Civil Rights Movement

African american teens

African American baby boomers lived quite differently to white baby boomers. Although anyone born between 1944-1963 was classed as a baby boomer, the term did refer largely to the white, middle-class, baby boomer crowd. Sadly, as people of colour, African Americans were not born into the affluence and privilege that white baby boomers inherited from the colour of their skin.

"The ‘American Dream’ can, therefore, be argued to have bypassed a great majority of the African-American population"

Linde Riphagen

Where did it all start?

Segregation and discrimination in the United States have their roots in the system of slavery, which started in the fifteenth century. Five centuries on in the 1960s, slavery had been abolished, but African Americans were still marginalized as a community. This racial hierarchy continued to exist, which led many white people to consider themselves as superior beings because of the colour of their skin. This is what we refer to as ‘white supremacy’.

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jim crow

Jim Crow ERA

Unfortunately, this enabled a series of laws - also known as the Jim Crow era, which began during the late nineteenth-century and continued until 1965. It aimed to segregate African Americans in society, by setting out a code of conduct; particularly in the South (although similar laws existed everywhere). This meant they were limited in the things they could do and had to remain separate to white people. Although African American baby boomers were part of the significant progress that was made in the 60s, they could not live like ordinary teenagers and faced constant discrimination. Of course, this was certainly hard to deal with as a young person, especially as the Jim Crow Laws were only outlawed mid-way through the decade.

Here are examples of what African-American baby boomers couldn't do in the Southern States, for part of the 60s:

Go to the same schools as white people - African American's had their own schools, but they were hugely underfunded by the government
You were not allowed to play in a baseball or basketball court nearer than 2 metres away from a court used by white people
Dating a white person was not allowed
You had to find restaurants to eat at that served black people exclusively, or you would not get served
Most shops would make you queue outside and enter through a 'side door'
If you went to the movies with friends, you were only allowed to sit on the back seats, away from white people

fighting for change

Despite the oppression they faced, African Americans all around the United States rejected the way they were being treated. The 1960s saw one of the worlds largest Civil Rights Movements, which had a lasting impact on the rest of the world. Baby boomers were the first generation to not only experience a shift in the attitudes towards black people, but to also be a part of the fight for equality.

The LEESBURG STOCKADE

The Leesburg Stockade was a primary example of the discrimination that African American boomers experienced and how they fought against it. In 1963, fifteen black girls marched to the Martin Theatre in Americus, Georgia. Instead of forming a line in the back alley, the girls attempted to buy theatre tickets at the main entrance – knowing this was going against black code.
This was their way of protesting segregation laws, in which sadly, they were arrested for. They were kept for 45 days, in a small jail cell. They lived without medical care, proper food and a working bathroom. The youngest was 11 years old and the eldest only 16. Parents were also unaware of their children’s whereabouts.
Eventually, they were released, but their story became part of the ongoing Civil Rights Movement in the 60s, as it highlighted how even children were not exempt from racism and change was needed.

i have a dream

Source: Rare Facts 'I Have a Dream Speech by Martin Luther King' on Youtube

“I have a dream that one day the nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed”

Martin Luther King Jr.

Martin Luther King Jr was one of the most important civil rights activists, that brought worldwide recognition to the issues black people were facing. In 1963, during the March on Washington, he delivered his famous ‘I Have a Dream’ speech. He brought his dream of a united America, where black people were no longer segregated, to over 250,000 people. Watch the video to see how MLK captivated over 250,000 people through his speech.

a decade of progress

Although things looked pretty horrific for African Americans in the 60s, a lot of progress was made in many areas, which baby boomers were the first generation to experience.

Freedom Rides

Members of CORE (Congress of Racial Equality) began Freedom Rides on buses, to protest against segregation on public transport.

MUSIC

Motown, which was a music label in Detroit, brought the Motown sound to the mainstream music charts, in the 1960s. It highlighted talented black artists, who had created their own sound and had found a creative outlet to express their troubles (check out the videos below).

Laws

The Civil Rights Act was signed in 1964. This ended discrimination in the workplace and also in public places. this was huge progress for African Americans.