Importance of Court Rulings on African Americans Rights During 1950-1960

In the 1950s and 1960s, civil rights movements were occurring throughout the US
as many Americans were questioning the established social order and segregation in the
nation. Many African American leaders were protesting, and fighting, for more rights,
with protest and actions such as the Montgomery Bus Boycott. These actions and protests
represented the power of African Americans and urged the government to pass legislation
to grant them more rights. Supreme Court decisions and Congressional actions during
this time originally were intended to bring about little change in African Americans
rights, but eventually enforced their rights, broadened their rights, and set the stage for
more equality into the future.
Many Americans opposed civil rights movement, and blacks equality. They used
their collective power in attempts to halt the movement. In state and federal elections,
they would not vote for candidates who supported more rights for African Americans.
Opponents of the movement would from anti-Civil Rights Movements organizations,
such as the John Birch Society, that would attempt to turn the popular belief against the
movement, using tactics such as instilling a sense of fear of the movement in Americans.
They also led efforts encouraging termination of legislation that would lead to more
equality, through bribery or by not voting for candidates who supported such legislation.
They wished for the social order to remain as it had for centuries: with the whites at the
top, and blacks having less equality. However, the US government recognized the need
and desire of some people, for change. The government tried to appease both sides by
passing laws and court decisions that appeared to result in more equality for African
Americans, but ultimately didnt have a large impact. One such example was the Brown
v. Board of Education case. In this case, the US Supreme Court ruled that segregated
facilities for blacks were inherently unequal, however they also ruled that
desegregation must occur with all deliberate speed. This appeased blacks by repealing
the Plessy v Ferguson ruling that had allowed for separate but equal facilities for whites
and blacks. However, it also placated whites because it allowed for desegregation to
occur at a slow speed, as no milestones or deadlines for the desegregation process were
given, ultimately allowing desegregation to continue.

Blacks eventually began to gain more rights, as protests and movements gained
more speed, and more people demanded equality. African Americans engaged in protests
to demonstrate their disillusionment with their current state of equality, and the
governments lack of support for their rights. One such protest was the Montgomery Bus
Boycott. This boycott began after an African American lady was told to give up her seat
on a public bus to a white man, as was the current practice. However, this woman, Rosa
Parks, refused to protests the unequal treatment of blacks, and was arrested. This sparked
a nationwide ban on public transit systems by African Americans, demanding the end of
the unequal practice. Without the blacks riding the buses, and paying fares, the public bus
system neared bankruptcy. This showed the power and impact of African Americans in
society, and furthered acceptance of Civil Rights ideas. Segregation on buses was
declared unconstitutional, and African Americans continued to work to gain complete
equality. Acts, such as the Civil Rights Act of 1957, addressed some of the ideas and
sentiments of protests. It enforced the voting rights of African Americans. This was an
important step in blacks gaining more equality, as voting rights had previously been given
to African Americans, but were rarely exercised, due to threats and even murders of those
who voted. Through this act, the government showed that it would protect African
Americans against whites actions, and that it was working to further the Civil Rights
Movement. Other actions, such as the integration of Central Rock High School in Little
Rock AK, in 1957, further addressed African Americans desire for equality and
desegregation. The governor, George Wallace, called in the Arkansas State National
Guard to bar the black students from entering the school. President Eisenhower sent in
the Federal National Guard to restore order and support the integration of the school. This
exemplified the federal governments willingness to support desegregation and greater
equality.
Government rulings and actions during this time continued to give blacks more
rights, and enabled them to continue gaining more rights into the future. The US Supreme
Courts ruling in Brown v Board of Education II enforced the first ruling and resulted in
faster and more complete desegregation. This set the stage for blacks to continue to
obtain more rights during this time and even into the future, as it furthered their attempts
for equality; as more equality was gained by blacks, more support for the Civil Rights

Movement was also gained. Other government actions and rulings gave African
Americans more rights, such as more equal pay, and banning discrimination in jobs. One
such act, Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, banned discrimination in hiring people
for jobs based on race or ethnicity. This was a large victory in African Americans seeking
equality. A large portion of the population worked in paid jobs, and until this act was
passed, blacks generally worked in lower paid and less skilled jobs, as they couldnt get
hired for other jobs due to their race. However, with the passage of this act, African
Americans now received equal treatment in jobs, which often occupied the majority of
their time, and was their main source of income. This act paved the way for the passage
of subsequent acts that would improve African Americans everyday conditions, such as
their housing.
Although many people in the US opposed more rights for African Americans, and
the government was hesitant to create significant changes regarding their rights at first,
eventually legislation and court rulings were passed that enforced African Americans
rights, and furthered their rights and equalities. These acts and rulings had a substantial
impact and created significant changes regarding African Americans rights. The change
in the federal governments stance on the Civil Rights Movement- from refusing to pass
legislation that would create substantial increases for blacks rights, to taking action to
increase blacks rights- can be attributed to civil rights activists and leaders that protested
for more rights, gaining support. Some leaders include MLK, who created the SCLC and
led protest and speeches, such as the March on Washington, and Rosa Parks, whose
actions began the Montgomery Bus Boycott. African Americans continued to secure more
rights throughout the next several decades, much due to the court rulings and acts of the
1950s and 1960s.