Unalienable Life

The Civil Rights Movement

The civil rights movement was another event that began during the 1950s and traveled onIt was an integral time for people of color in the Americas at this time, as the movement was brought forward in order to reshape the government by destroying racial segregation. Some of the many laws in place, such as the Jim Crow laws, actively promoted racial segregation in public spaces. These laws were extensive, covering even places such as public parks, theatres, and restaurants that allowed them to deny people of color service based on their skin tone. Not only did people of color during this time suffer from the legal aspects of society while this was happening, they were also being subjected to terrible acts of violence such as lynching, beatings, mass arrests, and even murder. The laws in which discrimination was allowed weren’t gotten rid of until 1964 in which the Civil Rights Act was signed, which was furthered by the Voting Rights Act in 1965 and Fair Housing Act in 1986, allowing minorities to integrate properly into society. Despite the constant violence that minorities were subjected to during this time, the Civil Rights Movement declares its success because of their nonviolence use against violence.

Curtis J. Austin                    /                            February 2002. “On Violence and Nonviolence: The Civil Rights Movement in Mississippi.” On Violence and Nonviolence: The Civil Rights Movement in Mississippi - 2002-02, www.mshistorynow.mdah.ms.gov/issue/the-civil-rights-movement-in-mississ…. Accessed 1 Apr. 2024.

“Jim Crow Laws: Definition, Facts & Timeline.” History.Com, A&E Television Networks, www.history.com/topics/early-20th-century-us/jim-crow-laws. Accessed 1 Apr. 2024.

The Vietnam War

The Vietnam war that had taken place from 1955 until 1975 was a very integral part of American culture during that time. It disrupted the normalcy of American life as it grew from the rising tensions of the Cold War and was fueled by a hatred for communism. It had heavily altered the American people’s perspective on Vietnam and Asian countries in general. The everyday lives of Americans had been significantly altered during this time, especially young men who had to be forcefully drafted into a war as they were coming of age. This would have also been during the height of the Anti-War movement. Due to the Vietnam war being one of the very first conflicts to be covered by the media during the growing of television during the 1950s, this would’ve heavily influenced the people’s outlook on what was happening in real time for the first time ever. This would have been a conflict that civilians were not able to completely detach themselves from. During this rise of the Anti-War movement there also came a lot of criticism against the government, such as the Mayday Protest in 1971, which had attempted to seize some sort of control and prevent the government from being able to function.

“Anti-War Protests of the 1960s-70s.” WHHA (En-US), www.whitehousehistory.org/anti-war-protests-of-the-1960s-70s#:~:text=Th…. Accessed 31 Mar. 2024.

“Vietnam War.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, inc., 30 Mar. 2024, www.britannica.com/event/Vietnam-War.

The Assassination of Martin Luther King Jr.

Martin Luther King Jr was one of the pioneers of the Civil Rights Movement in the 1950s-60s. He had a very strong commitment to preaching nonviolence and nonviolent solutions to their problems, despite the constant violence that they faced on a daily basis. Despite instances of lynching, police brutality, mass arrests and public beatings, the civil rights movement remained primarily nonviolent. However, during his time as an outspoken protestor, he was assassinated. On April 4^th, 1968 he was fatally shot on the second floor balcony of a hotel in Memphis, Tennessee while going to be apart of a march for striking sanitation workers. After his death, rioting broke out across the country, especially in inner city areas. The one responsible for his death, James Earl Ray, had managed to stay on the run for about two months before he was found and captured in England. After being arrested, he pled guilty to the shooting and was given a prison sentence of 99 years. However, even after pleading guilty, he claimed for the rest of his life that he had been framed and had not actually been the one to assassinate King.  He claimed that he had been set up by a conspiracy.

“Assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr..” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, inc., 28 Mar. 2024, www.britannica.com/event/assassination-of-Martin-Luther-King-Jr.

Curtis J. Austin                    /                            February 2002. “On Violence and Nonviolence: The Civil Rights Movement in Mississippi.” On Violence and Nonviolence: The Civil Rights Movement in Mississippi - 2002-02, www.mshistorynow.mdah.ms.gov/issue/the-civil-rights-movement-in-mississ…. Accessed 1 Apr. 2024.

The Vietnam war would have been an integral part to the artist’s identity, which is why I included it in the timeline. He served for multiple years during the beginning of the conflict, which would have colored his outlook on life at the time. I believe that it affected the subject matter of his work and made his work inherently political, even if unintended. The civil rights movement and the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. were also very integral to the subject of the photograph. During this time in history, it would’ve been the peak of the civil rights movement, where African Americans and other people of color fought for rights and recognition as people. This was integral to the identity of people of color at the time, as it paved the road for rights and being treated as people. These events definitely affected American culture at the time, to allow more acceptance even if just a little bit. This was a time in which America was forced to face its history of systemic racism and injustice. It caused an upheaval in the typical American day-to-day, giving birth to a new generation of activism, in which equality was a primary goal. The anti-war movement was a very powerful force during this time as well, as it influenced all culture, especially art and music. This very art piece by Bruce Davidson was also heavily affected by the events during this time period. I believe that this art is a reflection of all culture, even if indirectly.