Civil Right’s Movement Targeted The Failures of Reconstruction

The Civil Rights Movement (CRM) of the 1950’s and 1960’s targeted the failures of reconstruction, specifically with regards to voting, desegregation, and economic equality.

            Reconstruction failed to give blacks the power of the vote. Though voting was legally mandated by the 15th amendment, the new ruling class of the south, the “redeemers,” ensured that blacks were not able to vote by implementing literary tests and poll taxes (Brinkley 424). Furthermore, many southerners bullied and instilled fear in blacks so that they would be discouraged from voting. During the mid-1900’s, however, Blacks targeted these voting restrictions very strongly. For example, in 1964 members of SNCC led a coalition of black organizations, called COFO, in initiating a massive voting reformation in what became known as Freedom Summer. With the help of northern students, including many whites, activists succeeded in creating safe havens for voters and registering many more Blacks. Working in a united force, blacks were able to overcome harsh white resistance that they would have been unable to face individually. However, Freedom summer was not an isolated incident: in 1965 King led a voter registration march in Selma. Through strong support from whites and blacks, and the actions of activists, the government finally passed the Voting Rights Act of 1965 and ratified the 24th amendment. Collectively, these two legislations made illegal the literary tests and poll taxes that Reconstruction had created and mandated federal agents to oversee registration in places where blacks were kept from registering. Thus, the CRM addressed and was successful in overcoming the restrictions that kept Blacks from voting in the past, which Reconstruction had failed in accomplishing.

            Secondly, Reconstruction had failed in integrating blacks into American life by upholding and enforcing segregation both legally and socially. Legally, Plessey v. Ferguson upheld segregation in schools. Furthermore, many southern states adopted Jim Crow laws which upheld segregation in public places; many unwritten rules were also apart of Jim Crow in that blacks were expected to stay away from places reserved for whites or jobs that were considered not suitable for blacks. However, the 1954 Supreme Court case Brown v. the Board of Education of Topeca overturned Plessey v. Ferguson and declared that segregation in schools was illegal. The CRM addressed the segregation of schools by actively desegregating southern schools, despite the opposition of whites. In Mississippi, for example, a black student named James Meredith got a court order to attend the University of Mississippi, and when faced with opposition, received federal protection to attend the school. Thus, it wasn’t simply the Supreme Court case, but also blacks who actively tried to make the law into a reality. Furthermore, segregation was challenged by Rosa Parks and the Montgomery Bus Boycott. This boycott succeeded in desegregating the transportation system in Montgomery. The freedom riders demanded integration of interstate transportation system too. Also, black students engaged in sit-ins, where they sat at white only restaurants, refusing to get up until they were arrested. However, when arrested, more blacks took their places. MLK organized the March on Washington to support Kennedy’s desegregation bill. Thus, it is visible that the CRM actively addressed the system of segregation created by Reconstruction. The movement was successful in addressing Reconstructions failure of integrating blacks, which is seen by the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which mandated the desegregation of all places open to the public.