Analysis of Civil Rights Movement Freedom Riders Research Paper

Analysis of Civil Rights Movement Freedom Riders - Research Paper Example On the one hand, some would say that they failed due to the reality that many of them were beaten and arrested. On the other hand, their message resonated with many across not only the South, but the nation as a whole. That message was designed to end the prejudice and segregation that still existed a century after the end of the Civil War. While policy changes may not have been initiated as a direct result of the Freedom Riders, the reality is that these activists highlight a rift within American society that would have to be dealt with. As a result, the Freedom Riders did end up having an impact of the Civil Rights movement by strengthening the voice of the African American person, bringing attention to the pervasive problem of segregation, and moving the government towards action in the end. Frustrated from a lack of transportation services, and the reality that those offered to African Americans at the time were of a substantially substandard quality in comparison to whites, many in the African American community felt that they needed to be more proactive in making their voices heard and begin the process of desegregating the South once and for all. The rides are believe to have actually begun in force on a Mother’s Day in 1961. As history has revealed, one of the most segregated areas of the country was the rural South, and Alabama was prime territory to enforce segregational laws and policies (Manby, 2012). The African Americans in this area were not heard and they had no voice in local or state politics. As a result, some brave white and many blacks took it upon themselves to begin to be heard. The freedom riders themselves actually integrated certain Greyhound bus routes, mixing black and white passengers, at great risk of personal injury. In many locations, such as the first report event in rural Alabama in 1961, a

History Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 20

History - Essay Example The magnitude of this case was clear from the onset as the burden of proof was left in the hands of top government legal practitioners. No greater expectation was put on the side of the petitioner, Mr. Lochner, whom many thought, would lose. The case was about the working environments in the bakeries and Mr. Lochnerhad been fined by the court for extending the working hours for his employee thereby bridging the rules stipulated by the state. The working hours in the bakeries were to be not more than 10 hour a day averaging to about 60 hours a week (Bernstein, 2005). However, Mr. Lochner argued his case based on individual contract and that the state policing power had no rights in interfering in such private issues. The Supreme Court ruling on this case would spark serious indifference that would be felt over a long period (Bernstein, 2005). The sitting judges of the Supreme Court at that time lead by Justice Peckam who declared their decision voting 5-4 in support of the case (Bernstein, 2005). They argued that the contracts in the bakery were a matter that would be derived from the Fourth amendment. The Fourth Amendment stipulated that "All men are by nature free and independent, and have certain inalienable rights, among which are those of enjoying and defending life and liberty, acquiring and possessing and protecting property: and pursuing and obtaining safety and happiness (Bernstein, 2005)." The ruling cited supported the ruling by arguing that the state had no right in how an individual entered into a contract. This was in reference to a previous case in 1897 between Allgeryer and Louisiana in which the liberty of contract clause was due applied (Bernstein, 2005). This was mainly geared to put off the foreign investors from the competition with the already bakeshops in the state. Their decision would later be termed as judicial activism in favor of individual interest and the supporting economic liberty while depriving