Question

What nonviolent and violent approaches were utilized by various groups to achieve civil rights? identify the key figures and organizations in shaping the civil rights movement and black power movement?

Answer 1

There were several different methods used in order to achieve Civil Rights. Some of the nonviolent protests were lead by individuals such as Martin Luther King Jr. and Rosa Parks. These individuals paired up with groups like the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) and the National Association of the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP). These groups/ individuals advocated for peaceful protest methods such as the following:

1) Sit-ins- This is where black citizens would sit at a lunch counter of a restaurant that refused service to black citizens. From there, they would sit and refuse to move.
2) Boycotts- This called for blacks to stop purchasing an item or completing an action. An example of this is the Montgomery Bus Boycott, which lead to blacks refusing to ride public buses until they became desegregated.
3) Marches- These organized marches to important landmarks (such as the Capital in Washington DC) were meant to show the support for equal rights for African-Americans in the US.

On the other hand, individuals like Malcolm X and the Black Panther Party focused on protecting blacks. In this case, violence may be used. Malcolm X and the Black Panther Party proposed self-defense against any acts of white violence against black citizens.