e for change. The leaders of the movement broke away from the traditional leadership tactics. The masses of people involved showed that changes needed to come that effected Black America as a whole. In 1957, less than 40 years ago, under the leadership of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., the Southern Christian Leadership Conference was organized. Dr. King encouraged non-violent direct action. However, these non-violent protests often ended in violence behind the hands of white police officers. Anything from tear gas or water hoses were used on African-Americans. These people who were not only black but also whites were treated like animals. Believe it or not this occurred 40 years ago. In 1947 President Eisenhower reluctantly federalized the National Guard to enforce desegregation in the schools. White Southerners did everything in their power to prevent desegregation. By 1964 a decade after the Brown decision, less than 2% of southern blacks attended integrated schools, which was only 30 years ago. Throughout The Civil Rights Movement in the 60's, individuals repeatedly disobeyed laws that violated the civil rights of blacks. Civil disobedience peaked during the summer of 1963. Protesters filled southern jails. A nonviolent march to our nation's capitol involved approximately 200,000 whites and blacks protesting the violation of civil rights of blacks. The next two summers President Johnson legalized two more civil rights bills. These bills opened up public facilities and voting booths to blacks for the first time since the 1890's. Along with these achievements came increased violence. On June 12, 1963 the leader of the NAACP, Midgar Evers, was assassinated outside his home. Riots in Harlem in 1964, Watts in 1965, Cleveland in 1967, and Detroit in 1968 were all reactions to frustrations of oppressed black people. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s assassination on April 4, 1968 caused an eruption of violence in a number of ci...
