The Development and Expansion of the Civil Rights Movement (1945-1960)

The study focuses on the specific development and expansion of the Civil Rights Movement during the post-World War II era, specifically from $1945$ to $1960$ .
This material is covered in LAP 8, classes $3$ and $4$ .
Key questions involve the "how" and "why" behind the movement's growth during this mid-century period.

The Declaration of Independence:
- The document establishes that the fundamental purpose of government is to protect the natural rights of ALL people.
- It posits a radical right of the people: if the government fails to protect these rights, the people possess the right to change or overthrow that government to ensure their protection is restored.
The 14th Amendment:
- This amendment guarantees that anyone born within the United States is a citizen.
- It mandates that all citizens are equally protected by the law, a provision designed to safeguard natural rights through legal parity.
Constitutional Preamble and Structure (Warm-up Reference):
- "We the People… insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common [defense]… and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this [Constitution]."
- Article $1$ , Section $1$ : Grants all legislative powers to a Congress of the United States.
- Article $1$ , Section $2$ : Outlines the composition of the House of Representatives, noting representatives shall be chosen by the people of the several states, with qualifications matching those for the most numerous branch of the State Legislature.
- Original historical text references involved determining representation by adding "three fifths of all other Persons" (the Three-Fifths Compromise), highlighting the historical lack of full equity.

Individual Resistance: The movement often began at the grassroots level with individuals fighting against "Jim Crow" laws, which were the legal segregation statutes predominantly found in the Southern United States.
Breaking the Color Barrier in Baseball ( $1947$ ):
- Jackie Robinson's entry into Major League Baseball is cited as a pivotal social catalyst.
- "His life and career helped change the nation's way of thinking."
- While the 1950s and 1960s are often seen as the height of the movement, the post-WWII push against segregation is considered to have truly begun in $1947$ with Robinson.
Major Social and Legal Milestones:
- $1947$ : Jackie Robinson breaks the color barrier.
- $1948$ : President Truman orders the desegregation of the armed forces.
- $1954$ : The Supreme Court case Brown v. Board of Education outlaws the "separate but equal" doctrine in public schools.
- $1950$ s- $1960$ s: Ongoing organized struggle against segregation.
- $1964$ : The Civil Rights Act is passed, opening public facilities to all races.

Executive Order 9981 ( $1948$ ):
- President Truman issued this order to mandate the desegregation of the U.S. military.
- Implementation: This order was actively implemented during the Korean War.
Cold War Geopolitics:
- The United States was engaged in the Cold War, attempting to promote democracy and freedom globally to counter communism.
- The internal contradiction of promoting freedom abroad while practicing segregation at home created a political necessity for change.

Awareness vs. Action: While the U.S. government showed awareness that change was necessary (as seen in Executive Order $9981$ ), critics argue changes were often motivated by a political agenda rather than moral imperatives.
Public Relations (PR) Moves: Much of the progress was categorized as "public PR moves" intended to improve the American image during the Cold War.
Stagnation of Protections:
- The fundamental legal structures were slow to change in ways that actually protected Black Americans.
- Despite high-profile executive or judicial actions, racial violence did not stop.

Emmett Till: His name serves as a critical point of study regarding the ongoing racial violence and the lack of legal protection for Black Americans during this era, highlighting the disconnect between government PR and the reality on the ground.