The Civil Rights movement did not end in 1964 with the passage of the Civil Rights Act. We still have many problems in the United States and worldwide providing civil rights. In the United States we have recently passed laws that restrict certain persons freedom to marry. Other countries have issues on a different scale that infringe on persons rights of human dignity or in some cases their right to live. While it appears many in America believe that the movement was over with the Civil Rights Act it is an ongoing fight continuing to this day. Martin Luther King Jr.’s speech “I Have A Dream” in August 1963 talks about the “self-evident truths” that the United States was founded on, that all men are created equal. Bob Dylan, a very active supporter of the civil rights movement in the 1960’s, discusses his thoughts in his song “Blowin’ In The Wind” actively voicing his concern with the lack of fair treatment of all people.
In the most recent general election in California a significant portion of the population came together to vote to restrict the civil rights of a select group of American citizens. The homosexual minority in America is being singled out due to a religious belief that they are an abomination and should not have the same privileges as a heterosexual couple. While some people in America do not see anything wrong with their disgraceful vote, it is no different then other dark times in American history when blacks were not allowed to marry whites, and in some cases each other. An opinion piece on Time’s website made the point that “Remember that it took until 1967 for the U.S. Supreme Court to declare unconstitutional the anti-miscegenation laws that remained on the books in 16 states—and that Alabama still didn’t repeal its law until five years ago.” (Lee-St. John). In an effort to point out the similarities between gay marriage bans and black marriage bans. Until 1967 well after the Civil Rights Act had been passed it was still illegal for blacks to marry whites, it was considered an abomination.
Many other countries have civil rights issues that some would believe make American issues appear small in comparison, but while they might be more severe all civil rights issues should hold the same weight. Whether it is life or freedom that hangs in the balance we should all have the right to live a free life that does not harm or infringe on others. We have also been blind to some of the issues that everyone tends to believe only happen overseas happening in the United States. The prostitution slave trade has been brought into our own borders here at home. A New York Times article claims that while we do not see the trade occurring it isn’t any different then the original American slave trade:
In prior eras, the slave trade was conducted openly, with ads prominently posted and the slaves paraded and inspected like animals, often at public auctions. Today’s sex traffickers, the heirs to that tradition, try to keep their activities hidden, although the rest of the sex trade, the sale of the women’s services, is advertised on a scale that can only be characterized as colossal.
(Herbert)
Americans have a hard time fighting for something they do not see, until it is exposed enough in the popular media to make them take action. The African slave trade was open and public, but it took enough people pointing out the injustice before the population was ready to act, something further hindered by the amounts of money that were involved. Other countries are attempting to deal with this and more, but their issues carry an enormous amount of money behind them, making it more beneficial to try and keep things quiet.
In 1963 at the height of the civil rights movement tensions between races were extremely strained. Martin Luther King Jr. gave his famous speech to over 250,000 civil rights supporters in Washington D.C. proclaiming that:
And as we walk, we must make the pledge that we shall always march ahead. We cannot turn back … No, no, we are not satisfied and we will not be satisfied until justice rolls down like waters and righteousness like a might stream … Let us not wallow in the valley of despair, I say to you today, my friends. And so even though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow, I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream. (King 151-152)
King asks those oppressed by a lack of civil rights to continue to fight for their dreams. He encourages them to not be satisfied with a compromise on their rights, they must continue to fight until they have truly reached their goals. These very strong words have been the backbone for civil rights, and his speech continues to motivate people to do the right thing even to this day.
Another outspoken civil rights supporter in the 1960’s was the singer and songwriter Robert Allen Zimmerman better known by his stage name Bob Dylan. Dylan believed that music should send a message to the listener and used the civil rights movement as much as it used him during his young career. In 1962 Dylan wrote “Blowin’ in the Wind” with very potent lyrics:
How many years can a mountain exist
Before it’s washed to the sea?
Yes, ‘n’ how many years can some people exist
Before they’re allowed to be free?
Yes, ‘n’ how many times can a man turn his head,
Pretending he just doesn’t see?
The answer, my friend, is blowin’ in the wind,
The answer is blowin’ in the wind. (Dylan)
The message in these words is very clear as he points out that black people are not free, and on the next line he adds that the public just turns a blind eye and act as if they can’t see what is happening before their eyes. Dylan became such a strong advocate in the 1960’s that he eventually had to take a break from his civil rights era songs as he ended up feeling forced in one direction in his music.
We should all be pushing for civil rights to be equal among all peoples regardless of race, creed, sexual orientation or any other difference that may arise between groups of people. Without equal rights for all we can never be truly free and should not believe the human race has achieved the goal of being moral. Although differences are bound to appear throughout our future, America should be a nation of acceptance and not one of intolerance. The United States was founded on a majority of great ideas with the possibility to become better as time progressed and perspectives changed. We need to build on the good foundation that our country has and become the truly great nation that we can be.
Works Cited
King, Martin Luther Jr. “I Have A Dream.” speeches that changed the world. London: Smith-Davies Publishing, 2005.
Dylan, Bob. “Blowin’ In the Wind.” The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan. Columbia, 1963.
Herbert, Bob. “Today’s Hidden Slave Trade.” Nytimes.com. October 27, 2007. December 07, 2008. <http://www.nytimes.com/2007/10/27/opinion/27herbert.html>
Lee-St. John, Jeninne. “Viewpoint: Civil Rights and Gay Rights” Time.com. October 25, 2005. December 07, 2008. <http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1121811,00.html>
Tags: Civil Rights, Freedom