CassidyTitchenell

SarahDayDayon
UnitedStates
April29,2016

WomenintheCivilRightsMovement

Walkingdownawealthy,prominentlywhitestreetin2016asanAfricanAmerican(or
otherpersonofcolor)hasitschallenges.Stereotypesfilltheresidentsminds,wonderingwhatthe
outsiderisdoingontheirstreet,resultingindirtysideglancesortheclutchingofpursesandthe
lockingofdoors.Somemaythinkthatbeingapersonofcolortodayishard,however,beinga
personofcolor,andbeingafemale,duringtheCivilRightsMovementinthe1950spresentsa
muchdifferentsetofchallenges.AsAfricanAmericansfoughtfortheirrightsascitizensand
people,anumberofobstaclesstoodintheirwayduetothecustomsofaracistAmerica.Despite
thegrowingdifficultiesofachievingequality,women,specificallywomenofcolor,duringthe
CivilRightsMovementwerestillabletofindawaytoempowerothersandstandupforwhat
theybelievedindespitetheirstruggleswithracialandgenderinequality.Women,suchasDiane
Nash,FannieLouHamer,YuriKochiyama,GwendolynZoharahSimmons,andDaisyBates,
wereabletopossesthecourageanddeterminationthatotherslackedtoobtainpowerandgain
followersthatsupportedtheircausesthroughtheirpowerfulactivismtodefendtheir
communities.
DianeNash,anAfricanAmericanwomanwhoattendedcollegeatHowardUniversity
beforetransferringtoNashvillesFiskUniversityin1959,beganheractivismafterviewinga
tremendousamountofsegregationatFisk.Shebecameastudentleaderinanumberofsitinsin
Nashville,Universitytoworktowardsequality,andlatercofoundedtheStudentNonviolent
CoordinatingCommitteeinAprilof1960.AmaingoalofNashswastoinsistandencourage
peopletomaintainasenseofpeaceduringprotests,regardlessoftheviolentactionsburdenedon
thembyothers,suchascopsandracists.AfterabusburninginAnniston,ALthattargeted
blacksandariotinBirmingham,AL,studentsactivistswantedtoquitthecampaigninfearfor
theirlives.However,Nashinsistedthatthepeacefulprotestscontinue.Inaninterviewinthe
documentary,
FreedomRiders
,Nashstated,ItwascleartomethatifweallowedtheFreedom
Ridetostopatthatpoint,justaftersomuchviolencehadbeeninflicted,themessagewouldhave
beensentthatallyouhavetodotostopanonviolentcampaignisinflictmassiveviolence,
(
FreedomRiders).
DespitethephysicalandverbalabuseNashandfellowstudentactivistswere
receiving,Nashfounditcrucialtocontinuethecampaigninanefforttodesegregate.Sheworked
withotherstopeacefullymakeachangeinsociety,resultinginpeaceful,ayetpowerful
influenceonsociety.
AfricanAmericanwoman,FannieLouHamer,wasacivilrightsactivistwhoworked
towardshelpingAfricanAmericansgaintherighttovoteandwasacofounderofthe

MississippiFreedomDemocraticParty.ShelaterbecamethevicechairfortheFreedomPartyin
1964andworkedfortheStudentNonviolentCoordinatingCommitteetopeacefullyadvocatefor
blackstudents.Despitehernonviolentapproachtoorganizing,shewasbeatenbypoliceofficers
inCharleston,SouthCarolinain1963afterbeingarrestedforparticipatinginalunchcounter
sitinwhereblackstudentssatatanallwhitecounterinadiner.In1964,Hamersaid,Doyou
meantotellmethatyourpositionismoreimp
ortantthanfourhundredthousandblackpeople's
lives?SenatorHumphrey,IknowlotsofpeopleinMississippiwhohavelosttheirjobstryingto
registertovote,toSenatorHubertHumphreyinWashington,DC,(Hamer).Sheexpressedher
desireinhimvotingfortheMFDP,asitwouldallowtheCivilRightsMovementtoprogressand
attractpositiveattention,alongwithinforminghimoftheimportanceofgivingeveryonethe
righttovote.FannieLouHamerwasabletomakeachangeinsocietybypeacefullyleading
sitinsandprotests,despitethephysicalabusethatwasbeingdonetoherandthosewho
supportedherbeliefs.
AnotherpowerfullypeacefulwomaninvolvedintheCivilRightsMovementisYuri
Kochiyama.UnlikeotherwomanintheCivilRightsMovement,Kochiyamadidnothaveany
AfricanorSpanishancestryasshewasAsianAmerican.BeingAsianAmericanintheUnited
StatesshortlyafterWorldWarIIhadendedresultedinanabundantamountofracismand
judgmentsfromothers,allowingKochiyamatounderstandwhatblacksweregoingthroughand
beintriguedtohelp.Despiteracialdifferences,KochiyamaworkedwithMalcolmX,afamous
AfricanAmericanCivilRightsMovementactivist,aftermeetinghimataprotestinBrooklyn,
NYin1963.Sheparticipatedinanumberofsitinswithotherblackcommunitymembersand
invitedparticipantsoftheFreedomRidetospeakinherhousesincehercommunitywas
primarilyAfricanAmericanandPuertoRican.HerfriendshipwithMalcolmandtheFreedom
RidersallowedhertoarrangeameetingbetweenMalcolmXandaJapaneseHiroshimasupport
group(HiroshimaNagasakiPeaceStudyMission).Regardingactivism,Kochiyamastated,
I
didn'twakeupanddecidetobecomeanactivist.Butyoucouldn'thelpnoticetheinequities,the
injustices.Itwasallaroundyou,(Kochiyama).
EventhoughKochiyamawasnotinclinedto
jointheCivilRightsMovementsinceitdidnottargetAsianAmericanequality,shestilldecided
todosoforthebenefitofothers,provingthatonecanchangesocietyregardlessofifitwill
positivelybenefitthemornot.WhilemanypeopleareunawareofwhoYuriKochiyamawas,it
isevidentthatshewasaquietleader,supportingtheCivilRightsMovementandcreating/
attendinginfluentialeventstobenefitsociety.
GwendolynZoharahSimmons,anAfricanAmericanwoman,beganhercommitmentin
theCivilRightsMovementin1964duringtheFreedomSummerbybuildingschoolsand
librariesinblackcommunitiesinMississippi.Shedevotedsevenyearsofherlifetohelping
AfricanAmericansgaintherighttoregistertovotewhileworkingtodesegregatecommunities
inGeorgiaandAlabama.Fortwentythreeyears,SimmonscontinuedherworkintheCivil
RightsMovementbyworkingasanAmericanFriendsServiceCommittee(AFSC)staffmember
inPhiladelphia.HerinterestintheCivilRightsMovementwasfirstpiquedafterapplyingtojobs

inMemphis,Tennesseeandreceivingremarksfromretailstoremanagers,suchas,Thisjob
isntforyou,girl,(Simmons:TheFreedomMosaic).Shestates,Thiswasthebeginningofme
reallyunderstandingwhatitmeanttobeblackinMemphis,(Simmons:TheFreedomMosaic).
ItwasntuntilSimmonsreceivedsnarkyremarksatinterviewsthatshefeltthewrathofaracist
America.TherudecommentsinflictedonherbyothersmadeSimmonsunderstandwhatthe
problemwithsocietywas,resultinginhertobecomeanactiveworkerintheCivilRights
Movement.
AddingtothelistofcourageouswomenwhomadeachangeinsocietyduringtheCivil
RightsMovement,DaisyBates,anAfricanAmericanwoman,wasoriginallyfromHuttig,
ArkansaspriortomovingtoLittleRock,Arkansaswithherhusband,ChristopherBates.With
herhusband,BatespublishedanAfricanAmericannewspaper,the
ArkansasStatePress
,every
weektoinformthepublicofthecivilrightsthateverypersonshouldpossess,alongwithwhat
wasbeingdonetoobtainthoserights.In1952,Batesbecamethe
presidentoftheNational
AssociationforAdvancementofColoredPeople(NAACP),andlaterbecametheleadingwoman
intheLittleRockNineeventin1957,whichhelpednineblackstudentsattendanallwhite
school,CentralHighSchool,inLittleRock.InorderforCentralHighSchooltounwillingly
allowblackstudentsintotheirschool,Batesfirsthadtohaveacourtappearancewiththeschool
boardtopersuadethemoftheupcomingintegration.Theschoolsdistrictattorney,LeonCatlett,
beganhisquestioningbydegradingBatesandcallingherbyherfirstname.Whilemostblacks
putupwiththisincourt,Batestoldtheattorney,
Youaddressedmeseveraltimesthismorning
bymyfirstname.Thatissomethingthatisreservedformyintimatefriendsandmyhusband.
YouwillrefrainfromcallingmeDaisy,(Bates).AstheattorneytriedtointimidateBatesin
court,Batesdemandedthewhitemansattention,provingtoothersherwillandstrivefor
equality:racialandgenderwise.
RegardlessofthethreatsBatesreceivedforherwork,she
continuedtomaintainastrongsenseofleadershiptoadvocateandsupportstudentsandpeople
ofcolortohelpdesegregatetheUnitedStates.
Intheend,activismduringtheCivilRightsMovementwasoftenalifethreateningtask
fulfilledbysomeofthemostcourageoussouls.Itwasnoteasyforpeopleofcolor,especially
womenofcolor,toliveintheUnitedStatesduringthe1950s,yetafewofthemwerebrave
enoughtoworkwiththeircommunitiestomakeachangeinsociety.Duetowomenthatobtained
anextremeamountofcourageanddetermination,suchasDianeNash,FannieLouHamer,Yuri
Kochiyama,GwendolynZoharahSimmons,andDaisyBates,Americawasabletomovecloser
toracialandgenderequality.Thesefivewomenactivistswereabletousetheirpowertolead
theircommunitiestowardsapowerful,yetpeacefulchangeintheUnitedStatesthatwillneverbe
forgotten.

CassidyTitchenell
SarahDayDayon
UnitedStatesHistory
May4,2016

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