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MEMPHIS, TN, US-MARCH 13, 2020: The Lorraine Motel Sign at the National Civil Rights Museum is the location of the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. in 1968.

He was ready, then, early in December, 1955, to accept the leadership of the first great Negro nonviolent demonstration of contemporary times in the United States, the bus boycott described by Gunnar Jahn in his presentation speech in honor of the laureate. The boycott lasted 382 days. On December 21, 1956, after the Supreme Court of the United States had declared unconstitutional

the laws requiring segregation on buses, Negroes and whites rode the buses as equals. During these days of boycott, King was arrested, his home was bombed, he was

subjected to personal abuse, but at the same time he emerged as a Negro leader of the first rank.

In 1957 he was elected president of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, an organization formed to provide new leadership for the now burgeoning Civil Rights Movement. The ideals for this organization he took from Christianity; its operational techniques from Gandhi. In the eleven-year period between 1957 and 1968, King traveled over six million miles and spoke over twenty-five hundred times, appearing wherever there was injustice, protest, and action; and meanwhile he wrote five books

as well as numerous articles. In these years, he led a massive protest in Birmingham, Alabama, that caught the attention of the entire world, providing what he called a coalition of conscience, and inspiring his Letter from a Birmingham Jail, a manifesto of the Negro revolution; he planned the drives in Alabama for the registration of Negroes as voters; he directed the peaceful march on Washington, D.C., of 250,000 people to whom he delivered his address, l Have a Dream, he conferred with President John

F. Kennedy and campaigned for President Lyndon B. Johnson; he was arrested upwards of twenty times and assaulted at least four times; he was awarded five honorary degrees; was named Man of the Year by Time magazine in 1963; and became not only the symbolic leader of American blacks but also a world figure.

At the age of thirty-five, Martin Luther King, Jr., was the youngest man to have received the Nobel Peace Prize. When notified of

his selection, he announced that he would turn over the prize money of $54,123 to the furtherance of the Civil Rights Movement.

On the evening of April 4, 1968, while standing on the balcony of his motel room in Memphis, Tennessee, where he was to lead a protest march in sympathy with striking garbage workers of that city, he was assassinated.

Provide by https://www.nobelprize.org/prizes/ peace/1964/king/biographical/.

PROTECTION, PRESERVATION BLACK HISTORY

The fight for civil rights in the United States has existed for so long. Civil Rights Movements fight for social justice and unequal treatment based on various factors such as race, religion, gender, or sexual orientation. Dating back to the

era of slavery and Latin American colonization, people of African descent and institutionalized racism, and white

supremacy have always sidelined Native Americans. Essentially, the article will focus on the 2021 Civil Rights Movement and how it has been shaped by past Civil Rights Movements such as the Freedom Riders. On May 4, 1961, thirteen Civil Rights Activists boarded interstate buses into the Southern United States to protest segregation. During their journey, the group was confronted by arresting police officers and horrific violence, yet they drew international attention to the Civil Rights Movement. The Protection, Preservation & People of Black History: Freedom Riders 60 Years publication will explore the significant impact this bus tour made on the United States then and how it has

shaped civil rights over the past 60 years. Those voices from the past have ignited the voices of diversity today and the struggles our country still faces. In 2021, the human rights weaknesses were laid bare, especially during the Covid-19 pandemic that surprised the world. The pandemic disproportionately impacted the Native, Black, and Brown people in the United States, serving as an indicator of racial disparities in the health, economic, and education sectors. The inequality is a result of long-term institutionalized discrimination through racist laws and policies that enhance white supremacy. The struggle for equality and social justice is a continuous process, with the most recent movements such as Black Lives Matter being triggered by the brutal and excessive police force that led to the killing of George Floyd, among others.

CIVIL RIGHTS ICONS SPECIAL TRIBUTES

Civil Rights Movements mainly took place in the 1950s and 1960s to fight for equal treatment of African Americans under American laws. The Civil War occurred

prior to the Civil Rights Movements abolishing slavery, but African American citizens continued to endure racial

discrimination. The violence and prejudice against people of color lead to Civil Rights Movements in the 20th century led by icons celebrated across the United States and the g

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world at large. These icons mobilized the people of color and led them in advancing their mission of equal treatment under the law and social justice.

John Lewis was a leader of one of the civil rights organizations and was instrumental in the fight for equal treatment of African Americans. He served as the Chairman of the Student Nonviolent

Coordinating Committee (SNCC) from 1963 to 1966 and Georgia’s representative from 1987 until he died in 2020. He played a leading role in the organization and coordination of the 1963 Washington march for jobs and freedom. Lewis also led a march across the Edmund Pettus Bridge where the police and state troopers attached unarmed marchers with billy clubs and tear gas; this event would be known as Bloody Sunday. The media publicized a picture of marcher Amelia Boynton, who the police beat unconscious, of her lying wounded on the Edmund Pettus Bridge. Throughout Lewis’ life he continued his tireless efforts to eradicate prejudice and lead Americans to understand and support civil rights and he is celebrated for his involvement in these

efforts and as a state representative and received honorary recognitions such as the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2011.

Reverend Cordy Tindell contributed significantly to the Civil Rights Movements working closely with other activists such as Martin Luther King Jr. Furthermore, he consulted with U.S. Presidents, including Obama, Clinton, Reagan, Carter, and Johnson, on civil rights matters in the United States. In 2013, Reverend Cordy was honored with the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

Martin Luther King Jr. is globally celebrated for his contribution to the early human rights movements when violence and discrimination of Black Americans was the order of the day. He is recognized as one of the most inspirational and prominent Black American leaders that fought for equality and influenced the lives of people of color. As a Baptist Minister, he used his position and influence to shape the race relations in America in the 1950s. He was the leader of the

Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) that advocated for social equality and equal treatment of all American citizens. He used his inspirational speeches to mobilize African Americans and led them in fighting against legal segregation. His activism significantly contributed to the creation of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 and the Civil Rights Act of 1964. For his immense contribution to improving the living condition of Black Americans and influencing social change, he was awarded the coveted Nobel Peace Prize in 1964. Other civil rights icons that contributed to the early Civil Rights Movements include Hank Aaron, Jesse Jackson, Erika Andiola, Barbara Jordan,

Harry Belafonte, and Jesse Jackson, among others. These icons’ activism efforts initiated and motivated

the modern-day Civil Rights Movements.

FREEDOM RIDERS HISTORY AND TIMELINE

The Freedom Riders comprised white and African American groups that participated in the 1961 Freedom Rides protest the segregated bus terminals in the South. The Freedom Rider groups were made up of African Americans, both male and females. Racial segregation was rampant in the United States, especially in the South, including South Carolina and Alabama they were still practicing segregation laws of whites-only lunch counters and restrooms. The Freedom Riders groups went against these laws by accessing these designated whites-only facilities such as the white buses thus leading to a violent confrontation with police officers. These acts of g

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disobedience to the oppressing segregation laws and policies attracted international attention and magnified the Civil Rights Movements.

The Freedom Rides occurred in 1961 after the civil

rights reconciliation journey of 1947. In 1960, the Supreme Court decision in Boynton vs Virginia had ruled that the segregation policy in interstate transportation is not constitutional. In I961, the Freedom Riders wanted to test the implementation of the Supreme Court ruling by ignoring the racial segregation practices through using the whites-only bus terminals and buses. The original Freedom Riders left from Washington, D.C. on May 4, 1961, on a Greyhound bus. Their main aim was to commemorate the seven years of the Brown vs Board of Education decision by the Supreme Court in New Orleans. While they passed through North Carolina and Virginia, the group did not attract a lot of public interest. On May 12, John Lewis and Albert Bigelow were ferociously attacked at Rock Hill, South Carolina, as they tried to access a whites-only waiting lounge.

The violence had just begun; on May 14, 1961, the riders arrived in Anniston, Alabama, where an angry mob of white people attacked the bus. The mob, consisting of local Klansmen, attacked the bus and firebombed it as it tried to flee. The passengers struggled to escape the fire amidst a violent attack from the mob before the local authorities arrived

to handle the situation. When the commotion had

subsided, a two-year-old white girl went against the insults and taunts of the Klansmen to give water to the bleeding and smoke-choking riders. Despite her brave actions, going against the Klansmen’s interests, forced the girl and her family to flee the country later. When a second bus arrived, the passengers suffered a similarly violent attack from the local white people even though the FBI intelligence had knowledge of the bus attacks prior to the incident, they let it happen and they did nothing to protect the riders from a violent attack. The Sothern states were very harsh and violent to the Freedom Riders. These states wanted

to oppress the Black Americans with the segregation policies even though the Supreme Court ruled that segregated public buses were unconstitutional. The Southern states ignored enforcing the court ruling and maintained the status quo.

The move by the Freedom Riders to board interstate buses in groups was a challenge for the law enforcers who were the custodians of upholding the court ruling. Jim Crow laws were a collection of state and local statutes that legalized racial segregation. Named after a Black minstrel show character, the laws, which

existed for about 100 years, from the post-Civil War era until 1968, were meant to marginalize African Americans by denying them the right to vote, hold jobs, get an education or other opportunities. Those who attempted to defy Jim Crow Laws often faced arrest, fines, jail sentences, violence, and death.

Southern Whites used the Jim Crow laws to threaten

the African Americans who exercised Supreme Court ruling of having the right to use public spaces and buses. The whites propagated white supremacy and racial discrimination by segregating blacks in public spaces to exert social dominance over them through the Jim Crow Laws.

News and photos of the Alabama bloodshed and mob violence spread very fast across the country, and the world’s media houses picked up the news reports. This news was a huge global embarrassment g

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Photo by Kelly Lacy

of the U.S. President, and the country’s Attorney General called for a ‘cooling off period’. Trailways and Greyhound drivers declined to carry Freedom riders in their buses; thus, the activists could not

proceed with their ride to Montgomery. The ‘cooling off period’ called for the Freedom Riders to halt their interstate freedom rides, blaming extremists on both sides for the violence. This incident raised outrage among the Freedom Riders who were the victims of the mob violence for their legal under federal law rides. The Freedom Riders activists were non-violent

and wondered how being attacked in a bus or hit with a baseball bat can warrant one to be labeled as an

extremist even though the riders were exercising their civil rights. Instead of focusing the blame on them, the attorney general should have condemned the violence by the white southerners and the federal law enforcers for not enforcing the Supreme Court ruling.

BLACK LIVES MATTER

Black Lives Matter is a social and political movement opposing police brutality, racial discrimination, and violence against black people. The Black Lives Matter movement is a decentralized association comprising an array of other organizations and people. There are other organizations such as the Black Lives Matter Global Network that identifies as Black Lives

Matter. Such organizations can freely use the term and the slogan Black Lives Matter to promote similar objectives, and any group has not trademarked the phrase. The Black Lives Matter movement and its affiliate organizations protest excessive use of force by police officers and oppose any policy change that interferes with the global black liberation.

The Black Lives Matter Civil Rights Movement is a Global Network that is building power to bring justice, g

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healing, and freedom to Black people across the globe. The Movement has a strong following worldwide and a great social media impact. July 2013 the organization started using the hashtag #BlackLivesMatter after George Zimmerman was acquitted for his 2012 shooting of an African American teen Trayvon Martin. The movement was recognized nationally in 2014 for engaging in protest due to the police brutality-related death of Eric Garner and Michael Brown, two

African Americans. These incidents led to unrest

and protests, especially from African Americans in New York City and Missouri. The movement has been involved in other protests the deaths of numerous people of color in the line of police operations and duties. The movement also has a political involvement and contributed to shaping the political perspectives and public opinions in the 2016 general election in the United States. Between 2014 and 2016, the originators of the movement, Opal Tometi, Patrise Cullors, and Alicia Garza, expanded the organization by establishing over 30 local chapters across the country. The organization took over the national and international headlines

most recently in 2020 after a police officer in Minneapolis killed George Floyd, an African g

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American man. The movement organized protests in major cities in the United States involving an estimate of 26 million participants. The Black Lives Matter protests and the magnitude of participants it pulled make it the largest movement in the United States history. Criminal justice reforms and racial equality of the people of color are the major themes the organization revolves around through its

activism practices.

The movement comprises people across the American population demographics, although African Americans mostly dominate it. Initially, the organization had a negative reputation during 2018. In 2020, the organization became extremely popular, especially among African Americans, with data at Pew Research Center indicating that 67 percent of African Americans were supporting the movement. Another poll was conducted in September 2020 and showed a significant decline in the movement’s popularity among Hispanics and Whites, although the black adult following continued to increase. Unlike previous Civil Rights Movements, the Black Lives Matter movement

emphasizes grassroots organizations over the national coordination of its activities. The campaign has an international following with African Americans in other countries outside the United

States, promoting black liberation and the fight for social justice.

RACISM, CIVIL RIGHTS, AND THE STRUGGLE FOR EQUALITY AND EQUITY

Racism, Civil Rights, and the Struggle for Equality and Equity has been on for several years despite the passing of the Civil Rights Act by Congress in 1964. In America, People of Color struggle to achieve equal rights and opportunities as White Citizens. From the time of slavery, people of African descent were seen as inferiors to the Whites, and their fate

was sealed through racist laws and policies. Through the early Civil Rights Movements, the constitution and many of the racial segregation policies have been amended, although they have not been fully implemented in American society. Some sectors such as criminal justice, education, and employment portray the cumulative impact of racial discrimination and institutionalized White Supremacy.

Higher Education today still struggles with diversity issues and meeting the dreams of Martin Luther King Jr. of an America where African Americans have equal access to quality higher education. Higher education featuring the top then HBCUs (Historically Black Colleges and Universities) their programs and initiatives that take from the past to protect our youth’s futures. Borrowing from the struggles of historical Civil Rights Movements in the United States, African American students, in collaboration

with students from other minority ethnicities, have been protesting injustice in their institutions as well as participating in national Civil Rights Movements, including the Black Lives Matter movement. With the several student’s protests, the nation becomes aware that the civil rights and equality fought for by the civil rights icons have not yet been realized in society. However, higher education has made significant positive steps towards accommodating the African American students, such as giving African American Students and other minorities unique slots in the admissions and allowing the development of influential grassroots students’ movements.

Last year, students were involved in numerous protests in many colleges and universities. These protests were non-violent, including sit-ins and peaceful marching and demonstrations like those of Civil Rights Movements. University Students played g

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