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Category Archives: 1960-1968
1960s: Freedom for all Americans.
The Thirteenth Amendment of the United States Constitution was officially passed on December 6, 1865 and it abolished slavery and declared the freedom for American citizens. But the freedom was not established until the 1960s, the time when Civil Rights Act passed to abolish the various discrimination in American society. The Civil Rights activists want to free themselves from “the chains of political and economic slavery.” I think that 1960s are playing a significant role in the American history because in this time the economic and political freedom are achieved, and the Civil Right Act of 1964 helped to establish these freedom.
The race and color based discrimination on the employment were exist before the 1960s. The protesters of Civil Rights movement wanted the equal opportunity to get the job, and their posters focused on the “Jobs and Freedom.” The Civil Rights Act of 1964 helped the blacks to get the same opportunities that the whites had. It is clear that 1960s was the time when all Americans especially Blacks start to enjoy their new economic and political freedom.
The Civil Rights Act of 1964
In this photograph, President Johnson is signing the Civil Rights Act of 1964 with Dr. King one of its biggest supporters behind him. This act is one of the most important legislations during this time because it outlawed any unlawful treatment of minorities through voter registration and segregation in the workplace, school or in public.
It later became stronger in its enforcement which led to the election of minority officials in the Judiciary systems and in the US Government as a whole.
Posted in 1960-1968, June 14 assignment, June 16 assignment, Uncategorized
Tagged Civil Rights Act, End of Segregation
1 Comment
The Death of Che Guevara
The revolutionist Che Guevara was executed, October 9, 1967 by the Bolivian government.
Through Guevara’s travels to study medicine he was captivated by the poverty, hunger and illness people faced in South America. He believed that in order to help “these people“ he had to fight for them politically. All of Guevara’s experiences in South America, particularly in Guatemala fostered a drive for him to concentrate in politics; he wanted to fight for the poor in order for them to have a better life.
His efforts lead him to team up with Fidel Castro as a member of the “26th of July Movement”. Guevara joined forces with Fidel because they shared an anti-imperialism ideology. Guevara was also known for perfecting Guerrilla Warfare during his training, later on teaching and writing a book about it.
Che Guevara remains to this day as an iconic symbol for the poor as well as the youth. He was an intelligent individual, constantly eager to educate the less fortunate. He stressed literacy and education in Cuba which resulted in a literacy reform. Guevara himself trained teachers and read to campesinos. His efforts helped Cuba dramatically increase the literacy rate.
Although Guevara is characterized by his brutal military demeanor and behavior, he contributed greatly to the Cuban government and was a voice for all the people exploited throughout the world. He served as the Cuban representative in the United Nations where he continually fought for aid and criticized America for the treatment of their people based on the color of their skin.
Guevara was admired by many leaders and people all over the world. Till this day, his revolutionary iconic red and black symbol is displayed and his legacy remembered.
I believe he is one of the most people that ever lived.
I obtained this photo from Sonya Rehman’s Archive: http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://sonyarehman.files.wordpress.com/2007/09/7003-che-guevara-red-80mm.jpg&imgrefurl=http://sonyarehman.wordpress.com/2007/09/19/making-sense-of-che-guevara-%25E2%2580%2593-how-clueless-is-generation-x/&usg=__JZ2TsWdQCEEjOXQJme_CWHRwp9I=&h=400&w=320&sz=40&hl=en&start=6&itbs=1&tbnid=NB4FyWxAg5XfAM:&tbnh=124&tbnw=99&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dche%2Bguevara%2Bred%2Band%2Bblack%26hl%3Den%26safe%3Dactive%26gbv%3D2%26tbs%3Disch:1
Posted in 1960-1968, Uncategorized
Tagged Che Guevara, Revolutionist
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Free Speech Movement
The Free Speech Movement at University of California at Berkeley was a student protest that happened during 1964 and 1965. The students insisted that the university administration lift the ban of on-campus political activities and acknowledge the students’ right to free speech and academic freedom.The police arrested 773 students for occupying the administration building.
Students won in this movement, and the university chancellor established provisional rules for political activities on the Berkeley campus and opened a discussion area during certain hours of the day. It also made an effort of Ronald Reagan becoming California governor.
The Free Speech Movement had long-lasting effects at the Berkeley campus and was a pivotal moment for the civil liberties movement in The Sixties. Since this event, the students began a wide range of new social movement which had big impacts on the established social system.
Posted in 1960-1968, June 14 assignment
Tagged civil rights, free speech movement, students
2 Comments
Martin Luther King shot dead- 1968
Dr. Martin Luther King was assassinated. He was shot dead in southern US city of Memphis, Tennessee, where he was leading a march of sanitation workers, he was protesting for low wages and poor working conditions
James Earl Ray was convicted of his murder and was sentenced to 99 years of prison. The President Lyndon Johnson was also shocked by the death of civil rights leader. Dr. Martin Luther King was civil rights leader for black people in America in 1950’s. In 1964 he was awarded the Nobel peace prize. His assassination led to riots in most of the US cities. His assassination led to the major change in US.
[kml_flashembed movie="http://www.youtube.com/v/Tb9m81OwYH0" width="425" height="350" wmode="transparent" /]
Posted in 1960-1968, June 14 assignment, Uncategorized
Tagged Assassinations, Civil Rights Leader, Martin Luther King Jr.
3 Comments
The Cuban Missile Crisis
The most important event in American history in 1960’s is the Cuban missile crisis, a confrontation between Cuba with the Soviet Union and the United States, in October, 1962. During the Cold War, the Soviet Union built nuclear missiles in Cuba to strike the United States by the request of the Prime Minister of Cuba, Fidel Castro. President John F. Kennedy handled this very dangerous situation which could be turned to “World War III”, a nuclear war. Despite the strong opinions from advisers and members of EXCOMM to invade Cuba to destroy missile bases, President Kennedy chose the naval blockade of Cuba. After the negotiation, the Soviet Union agreed to remove missiles placed in Cuba and the United States accepted to remove the Jupiter missile in Turkey.
This is the one of the few good foreign diplomacy during Kennedy’s presidency. Some other countries did not support the way he handled this situation, but I think he was very brave to decide not attacking Cuba under the fear of nuclear attack to the United States.
Photo: chandrakantha.com/…/ 1962_cuban_missile.gif
Video: You Tube
The Voting Rights Act of 1965
In June 11, 1963, during a national television address about civil rights, John F. Kennedy stated: “We preach freedom around the world…, but are we to say to the world, and much more importantly, to each other, that this is a land of the free except for Negroes?” (Foner 921) Kennedy was killed few months after this presentation without enacting his civil rights bill, in which, among other points, he proposes the right to vote to blacks. One hundred years before Kennedy’s speech about civil rights, Abraham Lincoln expressed in his last public address his support to black suffrage. Like Kennedy, Lincoln was assassinated few days later.
After many years of struggle and opposition to the idea of giving blacks the same rights that whites enjoyed, the Voting Rights Act of 1965 was a major conquest that black people needed in order to fortify their participation in political life. Therefore, from my point of view, the Voting Rights Act of 1965 was the most important legislation of that time. Not only presidents or politicians like Robert Kennedy were assassinated, but also popular African American civil rights activists like Malcolm X, Medgar Evers, and Martin Luther King Jr. were killed.
The Civil Rights Movement
Civil Right Movement in the 1960s has marked a turning point in American history. To many African Americans, they remembered the 60s as an unforgettable and a crucial time period. In the 1960s, African Americans were fighting non-violently for their freedom in American soil. Due to the unification among African Americans, the non-violent demonstrations had slowly drawn American attention on racial issue. During Kennedy’s presidency, he banned discrimination in general. Later during Lyndon Johnson’s presidency, he passed the Civil Rights Act that further emphasized on banning racial discrimination. (p. 922). Over all, the Civil Rights Movement was not just a milestone to African Americans, but to all other races in America, as well as to those non-white future generations’ children.
In my opinion, I think Americans are responsible for the change. During the 60s, majority of African Americans and some other races were participated to fight for equality and freedom in America. One of the significant demonstrations in 1963 at Birmingham pushed President Kennedy to do something for the Civil Rights movement. Due to many demonstrations, President Kennedy finally called a law banning discrimination. (p.921) After Kennedy’s assassination, President Lyndon Johnson followed President’s path further. He passed the Civil Rights Act in 1964. (p.922) In the 1960s, minorities continued to fight for their equality and freedom. Their persistence and unification brought the attention to America as a whole. If there was no demonstration, if there was no freedom fighter, the American minorities’ voices could never be heard.
Posted in 1960-1968, June 14 assignment, Political history, Social History
Tagged 1960s, Birmingham, Civil Rights Movement, racial discrimination
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The Feminine Mystique
Feminism is a movement that stands for equal rights for women and men. For example: right to greater access to education, same pay for female and male, a right to plan a family or to initiate a divorce. It first appeared in 1890s, but when USA entered 1960s there was a lot of places where sexual discrimination was visible. Most of political offices were held by man, universities still limited number of female students, or in few states woman’s earnings were controlled by their husbands.
Public debate over feminism started in 1963 with publication of Betty Friedan’s manifest The Feminine Mystique. It wasn’t her first attempt to raise a discussion about women’s rights though she wasn’t first to do so.
In 1960s legislative process accelerated a little and few laws were passed. Congress passed the Equal Pay Act in 1963, and The Civil Rights Act in 1964. Both were standing against sexual (and/or racial) discrimination. In 1966 the National Organization for Women (NOW) was created to help women fight against inequalities.
Sometimes I wonder if our great-grandmothers hadn’t been fighting for their rights were would women be now? Could we make our own decision or we would have to ask for men’ permission? There are still a lot of countries were women’ rights aren’t obeyed, but I believe it will change soon.
Posted in 1960-1968, June 14 assignment, Political history, Social History
Tagged Discrimination, feminism, human rights, Woman's rights
4 Comments
The Right to Privacy
Many constitutional scholars believe that a right to privacy is in the Bill of Rights. Such scholars also point to the Ninth Amendment as evidence that the framers believed in the existence of liberties not specifically mentioned in the Bill of Rights: “The enumeration in the Constitution of certain rights, shall not be construed to deny or disparage others retained by the people.”
The Supreme Court agreed with this position in Griswold v. Conecticut (1965), in which it ruled that a constitutional right to privacy exists when it struck down law making birth control illegal.
Picture from http://cldg.org/9.html
Posted in 1960-1968, June 14 assignment, Political history, Social History, Uncategorized
Tagged bill of rights, griswold v. conecticut, ninth amendment, right to privacy
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