A Move for Civil Rights

Now in the 1960s and 1970s the African Americans of this country start to demand civil rights again. Especially the right to vote and the desire for integration were strongly supported by many groups. With the support of the President, Congress passed the Voting Rights Act of 1965. In 1975 this right was extended to cover Hispanic voters.

Martin Luther King was an important leader in the African American civil rights movement. He wanted to reach his goal peacefully and not with violence. As a protest against segregation of public transportation throughout the south, CORE (Congress Of Racial Equality) created the “Freedom Rides”.  Blacks and whites went on public buses heading from Washington DC into the Deep South. First the riders encountered only minor hostility but after the first few days the riders were beaten and buses set on fire. These extreme actions prompted national support for the riders and put pressure on the President to end the violence. Finally in November 1961 the Interstate Commerce Commission issued rules prohibiting segregated transportation facilities.

However, not all civil right movement groups wanted to reach their goal without violence. Malcolm X and the Black Panthers (“black power”) preferred more radical ways to get what they wanted.