How much did political activism contribute to African American civil rights during 1865-1980?

4 comments

1. I don’t think anyone believes the civil rights movement or the 60’s would have happened/succeeded without mass protests.

   >or if it was other factors like presidential, social,

   Activism has a direct effect on who wins presidential elections and how society changed over time.

   When you aren’t directly affected by a problem, it’s likely that you would ignore it unless someone somewhere takes the time to educate you on the subject and you are willing to listen.

2. This is an impossibly broad question. You’re talking about a span of time that’s half the history of this country and a range of issues from Reconstruction to Jim Crow.

   You can’t simply lift “political activism” from history and inspect it as if it didn’t occur. You’re creating a fictional reality.

   Even defining this topic is fraught with issues. You’re talking about the social/political/econimic construct of a nation, over a course of 115 years.

3. Political activism was directly responsible. Presidential action, legal changes, and social attitudes shifting were a direct result of activism. Power concedes nothing without demand.

4. It absolutely was central to the social change that happened. I’m not sure how to even begin to explain that