The Birth of the Civil Rights Movement - An American Dilemma

World War II sparked great social change, especially within the black community. In class, we learned about how the army was a great place for people of many different backgrounds to meet and serve under one common goal. Black workers also were able to work in defense industries as organizations such as the NAACP fought for such rights. Furthermore, the concept of fighting against the corrupt Nazi’s in order to advocate for a free world made many Americans see the conflict behind American ideals and racial inequality. 

One example of the growing sentiment for social change was the “Double V.” The Double V campaign was a slogan that was used by the Pittsburgh Courier in 1942. It meant that victory over the Axis powers should be accompanied with the end of segregation for blacks. They found a contradiction within the idea that America was supposed to represent its ideals for fighting for a free world, yet their army itself is inherently segregated.  This sentiment for the end of segregation was also reflected in the increasing militancy of blacks advocating for the end of discimination. 

Politicians even started to shift towards racial equality. In the landmark case Smith v. Allwright in 1944, the Supreme Court struck down the Texas Democratic primary system from only allowing whites to vote. They held that it was unconstitutional and violated the equal protection clause. With more blacks able to vote, political participation of black also increased. 

In 1944, Gunnar Myrdal wrote An American Dilemma: The Negro Problem and Modern Democracy. He developed and formalized the idea of the American Creed, which was the belief for equality, equal opportunity, and freedom. Moreover, he pointed out the vicious cycle of black underperformance and segregation. This was the dilemma of America, whether America should hold onto their ideals, or whether they wanted to hold onto their power over blacks. 

In a few years, the growing want for equality led to the full-blown civil rights movement, involving many famous people such as Malcolm X, Rosa Parks, and Martin Luther King Junior. The event that is considered to be the start of the civil rights movement was the case of Brown v. Board of Education in 1954

Sources:

https://historyengine.richmond.edu/episodes/view/4682

https://www.nps.gov/subjects/civilrights/birth-of-civil-rights.htm

https://www.naacpldf.org/case-issue/landmark-smith-v-allwright/