Why Study the Civil and Voting Rights Movements?
Many people think that the only reasons for studying the Civil and Voting Rights movements is to understand the struggles of the countries heritage to obtain these liberties and rights for all citizens. Not to lessen the importance of the resistance and achievements of gaining civil and voting rights, realizing the importance and power citizens of the United States have in government actions and how vital it is to be a part of the election process today is essential for students to learn in this unit. It is important for students to be able to make connections of African Americans contributions to the country and the reactions of United States Presidents in facilitating change through government actions as in the desegregation of the military at the end of World War II. Allowing students of analyze the changes that lead up to the amendments which produced civil and voting rights in American also help students see how change in members of society views of what is a right and who should hold those rights also effect change in government and society. By examining how change was created by the civil rights activists in conjunction with government support students are able to see how opinions are altered to facilitate societal change. By comparing the different ethnic, racial, and gender groups own civil right movements students will gain a connection with these hard fought for rights and their own personal identity as American citizens which will ultimately lead to civil responsibility and acting on these rights. By understanding the emotional and strategic tactics that the civil rights activists employed to initiate change students will see possible options that can be utilized today and in thfuture to enact change with the least resistance while producing the most success. By evaluating the time and methods used to facilitate civil and voting right for all citizens students will see that social and political change is not based on one significant event, but change is produced by a series of events which build on each other as was the case in the behavior of Africa American soldiers, Presidential legislation, Supreme court rulings, and the protests of citizens. Having history students examine the conflicts and the discriminations afflicted of people of the past will assist them in see the discriminations of today and the moral obligations to assist in the alleviation of these discriminations. By scrutinizing the behavior of people from the past during the civil and voting rights movements’ students will be able to see the societal changes today that affect their lives. By analyzing the behavior of people in facilitating change and in response to change students will be able to distinguish the biases of some individuals in society, historical connection to the present, the influence that the populace has on the government, and the influence the government has on the populace. In conclusion, History students’ examinations of the Civil and Voting Rights Movements in the United States will prepare them to be better citizens, analyzers of societal functions, and productive civil facilitators of change in American’s future.