Armani Gates

Professor Massey
12/5/2014
Essay Exam 2

The Civil Rights movement was largely successful in tackling the historical legacy of slavery and
discrimination in this country. This movement deserves its credit in leading the charge and serving as an
example to many other disenfranchised groups in their fight for equality. There are two strategies
exercised by different camps within the civil rights movement. If we examine this through the lens of
conflict theory these two camps are both trying to address this system of inequality and unbalance in
power/resources. It was between the nonviolence methods of Martin Luther King and the necessary
violence of Malcolm X. These two leaders are representative of the two movements and their own
struggle to find their own way of handling how to achieve racial justice and progress of this country. The
civil rights movement main success is in its impressive judicial and legislative victories. These acts help to
combat the discrimination faced in public accommodations and in voting. They include the Voting Rights
Act, and the Civil Rights act of 1964. I may add that the effectiveness of these measures is waning and
the Supreme Court has struck down many key provisions. The Civil Rights movement made gains but
theres evidence that progress has been halted and that black community isnt much better off. The
statistics of wealth, income, housing, and education are alarming. This movement overall strategy
combined litigation, the use of mass media, boycotts, demonstrations, as well as sit-ins and other forms
of civil disobedience to transform political sensibilities and challenge institutionalized racism. Its
overwhelming message was that of nonviolence. It was the black power proponents that fed the masses
of revolutionary and violent rhetoric to awaken their consciousness. They promoted the use of retaliation
if necessary to sure that the hostile whites of sit-ins and marches to gain a new fond respect for blacks. It
was their goal to strengthen black identity and pride of black culture. To increase their base the black
power movement disseminated their message through black communities, organizations, community
centers, and black own companies. The main goal of this movement was to put their destiny in their own
hands and not by what they saw as appeasement.

Inequality still remains. There is still a disparity between black and white incomes in this country. The civil
rights movement did not achieve complete equality but was a step in the right direction. We have yet to
achieve true equality in this country and we find that agenda of the civil rights is still relevant in this postracial society as framed by the mass media. In fact the talk of civil rights is more relevant today because
many of the mas problems witness in that era have become apart of a national conversation of race and
the state of America. The civil rights movement has been co-opted by many other different movements
labor, feminism, and gay movement. We find that many of the movements feature the same strategies to
achieve their own aims. The civil rights agenda has been largely forgotten by the dominant society as
they believe that race is no longer a factor but socioeconomic status. But these two issues are intrinsically
linked and are not separate from each other. But a new consciousness has awaken in the black
community as tragedies like Michael Brown and Eric Garner have called attention to this broken system.
This has also reunited the conversation about nonviolence and violent as a necessary action.

There are many consequences of militarism that affect the society and the African American community.
We find that disproportionally poor or lower middle class individuals youth of color serve the U.S military
services. Many of these individuals do not have many other options, which is often called an economic
draft. Within the military there is often very low pay as well as the lack of services after serving their time.
We find here that the poverty is serving a function for the power elite to provide a poor to lower middle
class combat force to fight for their pocketbooks rather than for the good of society. There are lots of
military recruiters within the neighborhood that pray on the desperation of these youth of color. They flash
dollar signs and the chance of an education. Dont get me wrong the military is one of the first branches of
the government to segregate quickly and allow some to rise up the ranks. It is not impossible but few
blacks rise up the ranks to be four-star generals like Colin Powell, former secretary of defense during
Bush Administration. There should be alternative and youth of color should have more options. This
shouldnt feel like a last resort of many of these individuals. To address these issues would be provide
more financial aid and opportunities of educational advancement. This would allow for those who want to
pursue these careers are not forced into a military via the economic draft. We also find that discrimination

by gender and sexual orientation in the military is still prevalent despite gains in reporting of sexual
assault and the repeal of dont ask dont tell. There are many forms of racism, sexism, homophobia, and
even xenophobia found within the military. The U.S is a world superpower and hegemon in the region.
We have the largest military and stockpile of weapons of mass destruction in the world. There is no need
to use people of color as scapegoats to serve their own bias agenda. There is no need for the U.S. to
continuously expand their wings and to be the global policeman of the world. I think that is a bit obsessive
but also that are motives are not often pure. We have a long history of overthrowing democratically
elected governments, funding insurgents and rebels, and training enemies of a state all for our own
benefit. It is these actions that have called the hypocrisy on to the United States. Our credibility is shot in
the world. There is almost like we have no more ground left to stand on. All of this intervention may pay a
hefty price in the end.