Question

Who were the main individuals and groups involved in challenging segregation in southern eating establishments during the 1940s, 1950s, and 1960s? What methods did they use?

Answer 1

Note: This response is in UK English, please paste the response to MS Word and you should be able to spot discrepancies easily. You may elaborate the answer based on personal views or your classwork if necessary.

(Answer) President Lyndon Johnson signed the ‘Civil Rights Act of 1964’. Under title 2 of this act, discrimination by colour, race, religion or national origin was forbidden in public places like restaurants, theatres, stadiums, museums etc. This was a very progressive act that took a lot of work to accomplish.

Prior to this law, Black, and even Asian and Mexican customers were only allowed to order take-out at certain restaurants. Furthermore, their presence at such establishments was unwelcomed through poor or no service, high prices and even hostility. All of these instances proved that it was time the society changed for a more accepting future.

At the time of the presidency of Teddy Roosevelt, Harold Ickes was the secretary of interior. Ickes was a prominent figure to speak against segregation at that time. He disapproved of segregation in workplaces, schools and even public establishments. A Democratic senator from North Carolina named Josh Bailey even accused Ickes of trying to break down segregation laws. To this accusation, Ickes replied, “I think it is up to the states to work out their social problems if possible, and while I have always been interested in seeing that the Negro has a square deal, I have never dissipated my strength against the particular stone wall of segregation. I believe that wall will crumble when the Negro has brought himself to a high educational and economic status… Moreover, while there are no segregation laws in the North, there is segregation in fact and we might as well recognize this.”

There were several occasions when citizens would individually protest against such segregation in society. However, the event that had an impact big enough to perpetuate a movement was when a woman in Alabama in 1955, refused to sit at the back of the bus to vacate her seat for a white passenger. Her name was Rosa Parks. Her act of civil disobedience sparked the Montgomery Bus Boycott. After this, there were several occasions on which small acts of change led to the eventual crumble of segregation. President Harry Truman banned segregation within the Armed Forces which led the coloured soldiers to be equally armed as the white soldiers. Furthermore, John Lennon of the Beatles announced in 1964 that they would not perform at concerts where segregation was allowed in stadiums.

All of these actions eventually provided the attrition that was needed to give rise to the Civil Rights Act of 1964 by President Johnson.