How Did Dwight Eisenhower's Impact On American Society
Introduction
Historical background
In the postwar decade of 1950s, progress in all social aspects filled the United States. The economy boomed from the huge success of the automobile industry and the expansion of middle class, pushing consumerism into the spotlight of Western society. Population increased significantly, resulting in a generation of “baby boomers”. Cold War against Soviet Union, while pushing forward rapid technological developments due to the space race, brought along many other underlying influences to the American society, such as the Red Scare and McCarthyism. However, not everyone was enjoying the social progresses. Cumulating discontent of the black population prompted more and more activists, such as Martin Luther King …show more content…
Hundreds and thousands of voices formed the budding Civil Rights Movement, introducing these issues into the life of all Americans, including those who were unaware and indifferent. President Dwight Eisenhower, noticeably, was among those who did not give racial issues the amount of attention they deserved. In fact, he personally disagreed with the court’s Brown v. Board decision, which put an end to school segregation. It was not until the Little Rock Crisis, in which Governor Faubus of Arkansas ordered National Guard to prevent African American students from entering Central High School, did he take action to enforce the Brown v. Board ruling, defending racial equality. Such violence from law enforcement is not unfamiliar nowadays with the occurrences of several police shootings of innocent black people. The Zimmerman trial in 2012 following the shooting of Trayvon Martin has generated huge controversies across the internet, and gave birth to the new civil rights movement, Black Lives Matter. Approaching racial issues with an aggressive rhetoric but nonviolent actions, Black Lives Matter inherited some elements from the era of Civil Rights Movement, specifically the teachings of Malcolm X. This leads to a more specific question: to what extent did Malcolm X’s social critiques
Historical background
In the postwar decade of 1950s, progress in all social aspects filled the United States. The economy boomed from the huge success of the automobile industry and the expansion of middle class, pushing consumerism into the spotlight of Western society. Population increased significantly, resulting in a generation of “baby boomers”. Cold War against Soviet Union, while pushing forward rapid technological developments due to the space race, brought along many other underlying influences to the American society, such as the Red Scare and McCarthyism. However, not everyone was enjoying the social progresses. Cumulating discontent of the black population prompted more and more activists, such as Martin Luther King …show more content…
Hundreds and thousands of voices formed the budding Civil Rights Movement, introducing these issues into the life of all Americans, including those who were unaware and indifferent. President Dwight Eisenhower, noticeably, was among those who did not give racial issues the amount of attention they deserved. In fact, he personally disagreed with the court’s Brown v. Board decision, which put an end to school segregation. It was not until the Little Rock Crisis, in which Governor Faubus of Arkansas ordered National Guard to prevent African American students from entering Central High School, did he take action to enforce the Brown v. Board ruling, defending racial equality. Such violence from law enforcement is not unfamiliar nowadays with the occurrences of several police shootings of innocent black people. The Zimmerman trial in 2012 following the shooting of Trayvon Martin has generated huge controversies across the internet, and gave birth to the new civil rights movement, Black Lives Matter. Approaching racial issues with an aggressive rhetoric but nonviolent actions, Black Lives Matter inherited some elements from the era of Civil Rights Movement, specifically the teachings of Malcolm X. This leads to a more specific question: to what extent did Malcolm X’s social critiques