'I have a dream' is a communal speech conveyed by Martin Luther King Junior, a civil rights activist from America, in 1963 during the Washington march for liberty and employment. The address aimed to call for economic and civil rights and end racial discrimination in America. Delivered at Lincoln Memorial in Washington D.C., to approximately 250,000 civil rights followers, the speech was the iconic record speeches in America's history and a defining moment in the civil rights organization. By starting concerning the emancipation proclamation that led to millions of slaves' freedom, Martin Luther King said that the Negro was still not free (King, 1968). In closing remarks of the speech, King described his dreams of equality and freedom from a land of hatred and slavery. This paper aims to analyze the various civil rights organizations' activities, as addressed in Martin Luther King Junior's speech.
Effects of the Civil Rights Movement in America
The civil rights association ended seclusion in public places and stopped discrimination based on ethnicity, race, sex, religion, and national origin. Before the 1964 civil rights Act, most African-Americans encountered many challenges that the law permitted: minimum access to quality housing, employment discrimination, disenfranchisement, and continuous struggle to merge public schools a decade after Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka. Besides, civil rights organizations led to higher economic and social mobility in America and banned racial discrimination (Romano & Raiford, 2016). As a result, the organizations paved the way for increased access to religious minorities, women, low-income households, and African-Americans. The organizations also allowed minority groups and African-Americans by implementing the Voting Rights Act, Fair Housing Act, and the Disabled Americans Act. The Acts ensured that African Americans could vote equally with the white race, rent apartments, buy houses, and get equal employment opportunities to the disabled.
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Impacts of the Civil Rights Act on Minority Groups
The 1964 Civil rights Act in the United States accelerated the end of legal Jim Crow, whereby most African-Americans got equal access to transportation, restaurants, and other public amenities. Minorities in America, such as the African-Americans, break the workplace barriers and enable equal educational opportunities. The 1965 Voting Rights and the 1968 Civil Rights Act broadened the protection to housing and voting and offered new protection policies against racially inspired violence. The 1964 Civil Rights Act and the civil rights struggle acted as inspiration and blueprints for other American groups seeking access and equality (Romano & Raiford, 2016). The Act, which stopped discrimination on employment based on color, sex, race, national origins, and religion, motivated women's movements and led to the formation of the National Women Organization. Activists convened a conference to protect disabled Americans, the aged, and pregnant women to participate in private and public life.
Viability of the Tactics and Strategies of Civil Rights Activists
The procedures and approaches that the civil rights activists employed in the 1960s would not apply to current racial and ethnic clashes. The contemporary society is technologically advanced, whereby most civil rights activists choose to air their grievances on various online platforms instead of physical confrontation. On the contrary, activists in the 1960s utilized multiple strategies to solve their problems, such as nonviolent direct action. Direct action interfered with the status quo and posed a challenge to the people in authority to ignore discrimination issues. However, in the current times, racial and ethnic violence issues go viral over the internet. Most civil rights activists take the opportunity to mobilize their followers online to push for a change in the sitting administration (Romano & Raiford, 2016). A good example is the killing of George Floyd, an African-American who was suffocated to death by police of Minneapolis's white race. The incident went viral on all social media platforms pushing for the arrest and prosecution of the officers.
The Relevance of the 1960s Ideas on Civil Rights Activism Today
Ideas of the 1960s concerning civil rights activists still have relevance today because disparities in African-American students' educational opportunities still exist. For instance, most African-American students are likely to get suspended from school than students from the white race. The ideas also help build community resources because school integration promotes affirmative action and improves admissions policies. The policies improve ethnic, racial, and socio-economic integration and diversity. The widening of economic and racial discrimination in universities and schools leads to underperformance in schools, low teaching standards, and limited career opportunities (Riches, 2017). Besides, the ideas may enforce equal recognition opportunities because all people will get considered regardless of their sex, social status, or religious beliefs. Currently, minority individuals such as women, persons with a disability, old citizens, and immigrants may get equal opportunity and treatment in society by applying the 1960s activists' ideas.
Impact of the Civil Rights Movement on the Current American Diversity
America currently has a diverse racial and ethnic background, with approximately 265 million residents comprising American Whites, American Indians, Asians, Hispanics, and African Americans. Therefore, the existence of Civil Rights Movements may ensure that all citizens get a fair share of the nation's resources and access basic amenities equally. The movements would promote peaceful coexistence, consequently boosting the nation's economic growth and political stability. Also, through the promotion of self-respect among the residents across the country, Americans from different racial and ethnic backgrounds will have the opportunity to exercise their democratic right by choosing their preferred leader without prejudice (Riches, 2017). The movements will ensure that America upholds and respects the constitution by condemning all acts that violate human rights. As a result, America would progress socially, economically, and politically, leading to national integration enhancement.
References
King, M. L. (1968). I have a dream. Negro History Bulletin , 31 (5), 16.
Riches, W. (2017). The civil rights movement: Struggle and resistance . Macmillan International Higher Education.
Romano, R. C., & Raiford, L. (Eds.). (2016). The civil rights movement in American memory . University of Georgia Press.
