The Impact of the Civil Rights Movement and Its Effect on Student Protests of the Cold War

The civil rights movement (1954-1968) was a turning point for African Americans in their fight for equal rights within American society. The Civil Rights Act of 1964 is a labor law in the United States that outlaws discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, or national origin. Although the law was passed, it was not an easy fight for individual people. While African Americans had won their freedom after the Civil War, the era of Jim Crow began and discrimination was sought out through other means, such as segregated schools, bathrooms, and seating on the bus. With the help of President John F. Kennedy, the executive branch of the federal government was put behind desegregation efforts. However, African Americans grew increasingly impatient. Under the leadership of Martin Luther King Jr., they took matters into their own hands and went to direct forms of protest. This included sit-ins at segregated food counters and the Freedom Rides, which would later inspire the student protests during the Cold War. While also taking part in peaceful protest marches, African Americans, along with supporting white members, brought more attention to the cause and forever inspired future activists.

One of the major groups that the civil rights movement, specifically the Freedom Rides, inspired is the student protests during the Cold War. These were a series of protests and demonstrations put on by university students in resistance to restrictions imposed by the Cold War and U.S. involvement in the Vietnam War. While there were adults who believed in the cause for these protests, they had everything to lose, whereas students had nothing. It was these students that led the anti-war protests on university and college campuses, as well as in their hometowns. Inspired by the Freedom Rides, these students sought to bring attention to the military occupations around the world, along with the violence displayed in combat. Seeing the progress that can be made through the civil rights movement, students decided to come together in a similar way to accomplish their goals as well.

Both movements created a new idea of mass culture and a new definition of what it meant to be an American. The civil rights movement showed the fight for equality in a society that appeared to be far behind in comparison to the rest of the western world. Through this fight, African Americans showed that they put the past behind them and demanded to be treated equally. The young adults watching were then encouraged to make their own footprint within their nation by expressing their anti-war ideas and demanding a new mindset for the future that was now theirs. Both socials movements are key events in American history that shaped future political movements and continue to inspire the people.

This exhibit explores the people and events of the civil rights movement and how young adults and university students took those tactics, such as peaceful protesting, sit-ins, and demonstrations, and used them to fight for their equality within their education. It will highlight key points and critical events throughout, police brutality, propaganda, and student demonstrations, while also acknowledging the sacrifices that were made in both movements, such as the Kent State shooting. As history has shown, people are inspired by people. Living in a free, democratic nation would not be possible without the courage of activists and there certainly would not have been change. It is important to acknowledge that the civil rights movement was the leader in the social movements of the 1960s and 1970s. It paved the way for the antiwar, students, LGBTQ+, among others, and forced the U.S. government to acknowledge that there needed to be a change within the system. While this exhibit only explores how black freedom impacted one of those movements, it is important to understand the significance it established and without it, there may have never been others. I encourage you to explore this exhibit with an open mind and come to your own conclusion and thoughts on the topic. Thank you and enjoy!