Factors Behind the Rise of Civil Rights Movement During the 1950s

There were many factors behind the rise of Civil Rights Movement during the 1950s. However, it would be proper to discuss first to what set the stage for the growing unrest of the black population. It can be traced back as early as the stock market crash in 1929 that was followed by the period of Depression. The recourse of President Roosevelt then was to offer some assurance to the American public that they would not die of starvation; thus, the "New Deal " project was born. Its main purpose was to allocate housing and employment to the citizens. In this case, the Negroes were given the chance to be employed as writers. However, this was short-lived since the Second World War broke with the Pearl Harbor incident. This made the African Americans anxious since they had a very unpleasant experience during World War I. As a refresher, the African Americans were segregated during the WWI. The troops sent particularly to the south were met with violent resistance; thus, this made the Negroes anxious with the coming of a second war. Among the unpleasant and hurtful experiences that these Negroes suffered were:

1) The "Jim Crow" laws - This law compels African Americans who travel to have separate lodging, eating , drinking, schooling , plus other facilities. Even the improper use of rest room in public places could result to incarceration.

2) The African Americans were trained as pilots in a separate base located at Tuskagee, Alabama. Although these pilots have shown potential, they were not allowed to train in other air force bases. This manifested discrimination.

3) There was discrimination practiced in the defense industries. In fact, the discrimination was properly documented by A. Philip Randolp which he later used as a rallying point to bring black protesters to March in 1941. The government acted promptly with a decision through Executive Order 8802. This decree established A Committee on Fair Establishment Practices.

4) During the war, there was a shortage of nurses to be assigned in the field. However, there still was reluctance from the government to hire African-American nurses until groups like NAACP ( National Association of Colored Graduate Nurses ) protested which led to the admission into the service later on.

Indeed, the First and Second World War took a toll on the treatment of colored people in the United States. Now, the military has gone a long way into practicing equal treatment of troops.

2. a) Schlossberg was brilliant in his analysis of the American Fast-food industry which he correlated with American History post World War II. The way he sees America today economically is that it is the center of capitalism where greed is the motivating factor for most businesses like the fast-food industry. Sociologically, he thinks that the American public is passive consumers who are being preyed upon by the fast-food industry since Americans value convenience and speed. In the same manner, he picked Colorado as a good place to conduct his study about the underpaid youth workers in the fast-food industry. From a political perspective, he thinks that America does not tolerate unions well since people are afraid of losing their job. In a way, this reflects the apathy of lawmakers to protect the people from being exploited in the fast-food industry. Somehow, this attitude of not being concerned with workers rights show something deeper in the picture. It is disturbing to think that the youth are ingrained with values that are materialistic in orientation. They do not care if they get treated right as long as they make money. The worse part is that they do not save or value the money they earned but instead spend it on vice or luxury items. The results of the study made in Colorado may not speak for the whole nation but it does reveal certain disturbing realities that are possibly happening in other states as well.

b) Among the historical factors that substantiate his view is his perception of the Reagan administration, the philosophy of Nixon as embraced by Ray Kroc and Walt Disney, and his very personal experience when listening to Gorbachev in 1999. In a way, he pitied Gorbachev since he was almost begging from Americans to send money to Russia after the Cold War. I agree with his insight that whatever America has or does the rest of the world catches up. His keen observations on Post Cold War were sharp since he tied the failure of communism with the strengthening of western influence around the world. Even today in the global economy, having fast food branch in China or US (assuming you are not from these countries) is a form of status quo. It makes a statement by saying that you are ready to conquer the global economy. The author also sees that the export of fast-food industry is not just an economic export but a social one as well since the fast food industry creates a subculture of consumers too.

c) I am a dyed in the wool American when it come s to consumer choices. I like buying US made clothes like GAP, Diesel, Guess, and other stuff. My favorite meal would be hamburger and fries, pizza, soda, hotdogs, and other junk food that the fast-food industry produces. The places I love to visit are historical monuments, museum, national parks, and of course - Beyonce's concerts and everything American. Sometimes, I feel not or un-American when I go out with my Asian friends and eat out at Chinese deli shops. It's mostly the food that influences me not to be American since I love to try new flavors and tastes. Sometimes, I do appreciate the music and culture of other countries since they offer change from my very routine American life. When hanging around with my non-American friends, I feel a certain affinity that I am a citizen not only of America but the whole world.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Schlosser, E. Fast Food Nation: The Dark Side of the All-American Meal. Harper Perennial. First Edition. 2002.

Eggleston, Edward. A History of the United States and Its People. Lost Classics Book Co.; 1st edition September 2001.