The Importance of Sit-Ins to the Black Civil Rights...

Civil disobedience was key in the pursuit of equality for African Americans during the Civil Rights Movement. Through forms of peaceful protest, African Americans were able to bring to light the socio-economic inequalities they faced and forced the government and general public to do something about it. Sit-ins, one method of practicing civil disobedience, took root in the early 1960s and quickly became a popular and effective form of peaceful protest. James Baldwin makes a very brief note of sit-ins in his essay â€Å"Down at the Cross†. Its brief mention is probably due to the time at which the essay was written, just before sit-ins became a national phenomenon. At first glance, one may think that Baldwin doesn‘t think†¦show more content†¦The popularity of sit-ins can be reflected in the involvement of the N.A.A.C.P. (The National Association of the Advancement of Colored People). An article published by the New York Times talks about planned demonst rations that will occur in New York City which will be headed by the N.A.A.C.P (Robinson 54). This example shows how large the movement had become by summer 1961 because a nationally recognized organization was already actively involved in demonstrating. Another article, printed in late 1961, reports that the national director of the Congress of Racial Equality would begin planned sit-ins nation wide, with a focus in the South and the Midwest (â€Å"Negroes to Broaden† 18). This again proves how effective sit-ins were because a nationally recognized organization was taking the movement and organizing a nation wide effort to end discrimination. Apparently, the sit-in movement was a great success and could not have come at a better time. For Baldwin to not mention or give sufficient credit to the movement is something that must be examined. However, instead of focusing on why Baldwin didn’t include the movement in his essay, it is more reasonable to examine how the sit-ins are connected to Baldwin’s calling for an immediate rise to action and to other things that are found within his essay. It is made very clear by Baldwin that violence is something that must not be used when he says â€Å"I am very much concerned that AmericanShow MoreRelatedThe Civil Rights Movement Essay1053 Words   |  5 Pagessupport of the movement for African American civil rights. Many strides were made for racial equality in the United States. However, while changes were made, they did take a considerable amount of time to achieve. This made some leaders of the civil rights movement frustrated and caused them to divert from their original goal of integration. They instead strove for black separatism where blacks and whites would live segregated. 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