Dismantling Segregation: How Black and Mexican Americans Fought for Equal Rights Through Litigation and Activism

Abstract

Legal Fight Against Black and Mexican Americans Segregation and Discrimination In 1941, Black Americans made a plan of matching to Washington to demand better and equal employment rights, since they were mostly hired as servants, low-wage factory, and farm workers. After the threat to protest, President Franklin Roosevelt made a legal issue of allowing all the people to join government jobs irrespective of their originality or color. Demonstrations and sittings were other techniques that were used to fight segregation and discrimination (Behnken, 2011). These peaceful demonstrations led to stores’ integration of stores which allowed equal rights to all the people. The Black Americans also engaged in rallies, boycotts, marches, and protests which were documented by the national reporters on newspapers, televisions, and radios, with an agenda to end racial discrimination. Another technique that the Black and Mexican Americans adopted was Litigation is the process of solving a problem in court. Discrimination and segregation cases that were resolved in court include the Montgomery bus segregation, public school segregation, and discrimination of the blacks when receiving public services. The civil rights movement greatly relied on test courts to end segregation because the Supreme court believed that it was unconstitutional to segregate children in public schools. Desegregation occurred after the Brown versus the Board of Education case was held. The civil rights movement believed that the supreme court’s major role was to interpret how the constitution equally affects each and every citizen (Behnken, 2011). The supreme court also stripped the federal government of its power that would increase segregation and discrimination levels against black Americans. In conclusion, racial segregation was ended in the public education system with the aid of the Warren court. Further, the supreme court protected the civil rights movement in the 1950s by striking down...