The Effects Of Propaganda In The Civil Rights Movement

Anuar Kulmagambetov ENGL 2343 Professor C. Robinson 04/04/2015 Essay 1 The struggle of black people for the independence in the United States has a long history. Indeed, first slaves arrived in the United States in 1619 and Emancipation Proclamation passed only in 1863; more than two hundred years of slavery affected lives of millions people. Even after getting their freedom, colored people faced with the huge issue of racial segregation “separate but equal” that passed by 14th amendment to the United States Constitution. In following years many colored people put a lot of efforts in order to achieve recognition of the black race among the whites.

Interviewing several professors that have done research on the field of social justice demonstrates the fact that they are knowledgeable on the topic of the continuity of racism and the use of different races eliminates a racial bias. This is important because these professors all agree about the hidden consequences of the 13th Amendment towards the black community that are present current day, supporting the continuation of racism throughout the past 150 years. Furthermore, the use of raw media of past historical events develops credibility because they happened on a first-hand account. This is significant since there is a lot of raw media showcasing discrimination towards the black community over the past 150 years, mostly in the process of incarceration, contributing to the overall memo of the continuity of racism post-13th

Those who bought into this idea both held back the purpose of Civil Rights and decreased solidarity among blacks. Though the oppressed group certainly does not have to fight against the institution in power, it is important to remember that many blacks, especially those with light skinned or higher class privilege in Moody’s rural area, did not stand up against internalized

African Americans face a struggle with racism which has been present in our country before the Civil War began in 1861. America still faces racism today however, around the 1920’s the daily life of an African American slowly began to improve. Thus, this time period was known by many, as the “Negro Fad” (O’Neill). The quality of life and freedom of African Americans that lived in the United States was constantly evolving and never completely considered ‘equal’. From being enslaved, to fighting for their freedom, African Americans were greatly changing the status quo and beginning to make their mark in the United States.

“Long, hot summers” of rioting arose and many supporters of the African American movement were assassinated. However, these movements that mused stay ingrained in America’s history and pave way for an issue that continues to be the center of

Professor Khalil Girban Muhammad gave an understanding of the separate and combined influences that African Americans and Whites had in making of present day urban America. Muhammad’s lecture was awakening, informative and true, he was extremely objective and analytical in his ability to scan back and forth across the broad array of positive and negative influences. Muhammad described all the many factors during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries since the abolition of slavery and also gave many examples of how blackness was condemned in American society in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. Professor Muhammad was able to display how on one hand, initial limitations made blacks seem inferior, and various forms of white prejudice made things worse. But on the other hand, when given the same education and opportunities, there are no differences between black and white achievements and positive contributions to society.

As 1919 is rolling into summer, racial tensions are getting to a boiling point. The causes of these racial tensions are white ignorance, The Great Migration, and social inequality. White ignorance has always been a major factor in African Americans not getting their rights they deserve. One part of that ignorance is that they never get to know them for whom they really are. When they see African Americans, they just assume some outrageous stereotype or just call them names.

“Propaganda is a monologue that is not looking for an answer, but an echo,” (W. H. Auden). World War II, like many other wars, was influenced by myriad of different variables. One variable that echoed throughout America was propaganda. Propaganda was a major influence in the rally for overall support in America during World War II. The propaganda’s intentions in World War II can be broken down into three major categories: war efforts, Anti-German and Anti-Japanese backing, and homefront endeavors.

There have been conflicts in the equality of our society. Black rights have taken several decades to achieve, and even today the black community faces racism. A notable time regarding black rights would be the early 1900s, when blacks were beginning to utilize their rights in the US. Although blacks were freed from slavery and confinement, they still faced troubles in equality that lasted throughout the 1900s. Zora Neale Hurston’s

They stood not only as a means to protect themselves but to fight the unjust world affecting their communities. In this paper I am going to go over the rise and growth of the racial revolutionary movements that occurred throughout the 1960s and early 70s and how they impacted the fight against racial oppression and the relationship between minority races within America. Though these revolutionary groups were not the first to fight for the end of Racial oppression within America, they were a strong component in the deconstruction of white privilege and racial imbalance. Following the lead of racial equality political activists such as Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcom X.

The struggle for acceptance among the African American population has been a long and tedious journey. From their enforced enslavement, to “emancipation” in 1863, African Americans have not only fought to gain their rights, but to keep them. Since the end of Reconstruction, African Americans have fought for rights equal to those of their white counterparts. This fight intensified following World War II when black soldiers returned home to the irony of having fought for freedom in Europe, while having few freedoms of their own in the United States. Although there has been extreme progression due in part to the Civil Rights movement, there still remains a strong and persistent disadvantage for African Americans.

Political speech is important for a democracy to function as a collective unit of individuals who make up a society that solves problems together. There is, however, the problem of propaganda when dealing with persuasive rhetoric aimed at a populous looking to find the best solution of the options available to them. Politicians find themselves looking towards the sensational rather than the rational when grabbing the attention of the masses. The discussion of political speech is one that spans centuries from ancient thinkers like Thucydides to the contemporary thinker Jason Stanley. In his book “How Propaganda Works”, Stanley looks to dissect the use of propaganda in society and differentiate what he deems demagoguery and civic rhetoric.

This concept has been painted with a negative paint brush. However, in its essence, the word propaganda is neither bad nor good; what is imperative is how it is practiced by the perpetrator. The concept can be negative or positive depending on the motive of the person, institution or government that is orchestrating the message.” (Positive Propaganda, 2022) Propaganda is often used by the government and other organizations to promote positive messages and lifestyles.

Television enhanced the civil rights movement, which gave the movement the momentum it needed to succeed and spur the Civil Rights Act of 1964. The importance of the television was in how people not directly involved in the movement could see and hear exactly what was happening. This lead to a greater public understanding of how people of color were being treated, and the violence used by segregationists to suppress the movement. While other factors did contribute to the overall success of the movement, such as civil rights groups and the presidential leadership, it was television that lead to achievement and progress. It was not television alone that drove change, both presidential leadership and the leadership of civil rights activists played a crucial part in act being passed.

4. Effects of Propaganda All of the forms of propaganda were effective solely based on how rapidly these forms were spread. The most effective forms of anti-black propaganda were rumors, jokes, slogans and even some leaflets (Becker, 1949). Rumors and jokes had a very direct impact because it can spread faster than any other form. In the cases of slogans, there’s one that is very well known, The White Man’s Burden.