Skip to main content

Who was most famous for having a negative effect on the Civil Rights Movement?

If by "negative effect" you mean people who opposed the movement for African-American civil rights during the 1950s and 1960s, then some Southern politicians spring to mind. One is George Wallace, the Alabama governor who became the face of segregation in the South when he blocked the entrance to the University of Alabama to prevent African-American students from entering under federal protection. Another is Mississippi governor Ross Barnett, who took similar actions in response to...

If by "negative effect" you mean people who opposed the movement for African-American civil rights during the 1950s and 1960s, then some Southern politicians spring to mind. One is George Wallace, the Alabama governor who became the face of segregation in the South when he blocked the entrance to the University of Alabama to prevent African-American students from entering under federal protection. Another is Mississippi governor Ross Barnett, who took similar actions in response to attempts to integrate the University of Mississippi by James Meredith. Declaring that "God is the original segregationist," he, like Wallace, cultivated support among southern whites through his opposition to integration. Another very public opponent of the civil rights movement was Birmingham, Alabama city official Eugene "Bull" Connor. Connor basically abetted a violent response to the Freedom Rides in 1961, and most famously ordered city police and firefighters to attack protesters in the streets of Birmingham in 1963. The irony is that the intransigence of men like Wallace, Barnett, and especially Connor actually backfired on a national level. Americans sympathized with civil rights protesters, whose nonviolent methods contrasted on television with the response of souther segregationists. Indeed, the strategy of leaders like Martin Luther King, Jr. depended on their violence, which led to calls for federal civil rights legislation. 

Popular posts from this blog

In chapter one of The Great Gatsby, what advice does Nick's father give him? How does this make him a good person to tell this story?

Nick says that his father advised him that, before "criticizing anyone," he "remember that all the people in this world haven't had the same advantages" as Nick.  As a result, Nick claims that he is "inclined to reserve all judgments," presenting himself to the reader as a fair and dispassionate arbiter of character, and thus, a reliable narrator.   The problem is that Nick immediately reveals himself as anything but reliable, as he then launches... Nick says that his father advised him that, before "criticizing anyone," he "remember that all the people in this world haven't had the same advantages" as Nick.  As a result, Nick claims that he is "inclined to reserve all judgments," presenting himself to the reader as a fair and dispassionate arbiter of character, and thus, a reliable narrator.   The problem is that Nick immediately reveals himself as anything but reliable, as he then launches into a discussion of how pe...
Post a Comment
Read more

How did the United States become an imperial power?

"Imperial power" is a bit of a vague label. It tends to mean several things at once, so let's unpack it. In the sense of "this country was built on conquest by force," the "imperial power" part of America actually predates the United States proper. The territories that would become the United States were imperial colonies, established by the great European empires of the 17th and 18th centuries. Much of the US Constitution and American governance generally goes back to England, history's largest and most successful imperial power, but vital aspects of American culture come from other imperial powers, such as France and Spain. Much of American culture comes from sources other than the old empires, but they were key influences on what the United States became. In the sense of "this country treats conquest by force as a fundamental component of its culture, economy and politics," the United States has always been an imperial power. Even earl...
Post a Comment
Read more

How and why does James Gatz become Jay Gatsby? Describe the young Gatsby/Gatz.

James Gatz, a poor Midwestern boy of probable Jewish lineage, becomes Jay Gatsby, a presumed WASP and wealthy socialite, when he moves to New York City and acquires his fortune. It is wealth that has allowed Gatz to transform himself into Gatsby. However, those who know his background (e.g., Daisy and Tom Buchanan) never allow him to forget that he is nouveau riche -- that is, an upstart who has just recently made his fortune,... James Gatz, a poor Midwestern boy of probable Jewish lineage, becomes Jay Gatsby, a presumed WASP and wealthy socialite, when he moves to New York City and acquires his fortune. It is wealth that has allowed Gatz to transform himself into Gatsby. However, those who know his background (e.g., Daisy and Tom Buchanan) never allow him to forget that he is nouveau riche -- that is, an upstart who has just recently made his fortune, whereas they arose from well-to-do families. Gatz became Gatsby through determination and discipline. At the end of the novel, the narr...
Post a Comment
Read more