Slavery

More than a hundred years ago the Europeans brought slaves to North America.

The blacks found themselves in the midst of prejudice whites with no way out.

When the blacks came over Jim Crow laws were incorporated. With these laws it

was near impossible for blacks to rise in the white world. Booker T. Washington

was the first black to rise to any prominence in this time. In the early 1900's

blacks however began to fight back. In 1909 black advancement organizations

began to increase all over North America. Unfortunately with the rise of these

groups also came the rise of racist white groups like the Ku Klux Klan and

others brutally killing blacks. All blacks coming into N. America were being

brought into a very hostile environment.

The first sign of blacks becoming more equal was the blacks to fight in the

World War. For the first time they were looked upon as war veterans instead of

black slaves. Although progress was beginning a black man named Garvey believed

that the whites would never change, because of this he started an association

called "Back to Africa". At the coming of the Second World War, blacks

participating in the war were being more important positions than ever before.

Franklin Roosevelt was the first president to make a strong contribution to

the Civil Rights movement. He had signed a declaration that stated no one could

be discriminated in the work place and other areas based on race. Also the high

court passed a law that enabled black children to have the same education

opportunities as white children.

It was in December 1955 that Rosa Parks made a big step for civil rights by

doing a very small but courageous thing. She was arrested for not giving up her

seat to a white man on a bus, which broke one of the many Jim Crow laws. With

that one action black activist hired Martin Luther King Jr. to boycott the bus

laws. This boycott of the Jim Crow transportation laws was a complete success,

launching Martin Luther King Jr. into national stardom with the accomplishment.

King often acted on and admired the ways of M. Gandhi. Soon blacks all