How Did The Mass Media Influence The Civil Rights Movement

The Civil Rights Movement was a dark period in America. In a time where white supremacists ruled the South, historical figures such as Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcom X made it their life’s work to change the nation for the better. Almost 90% of the United States Black population lived in the South, and it was issues like the Jim Crow laws that made these individuals lives extremely unpleasing and difficult. Over the course of four years, 1964-1968, at least four major civil rights acts were approved: the 1964 Civil Rights Act, the 1965 Voting Rights Act, the 1965 Elementary and Secondary Education Act, and the 1968 Housing Act. These acts were helped spurred on by the civil rights activities and demonstrations that took place between 1954 and 1968. Although the Civil Rights Movement started off in the southern states, it rapidly rose to national prominence once it was gaining more media coverage. Events like the 1955 Montgomery Bus Boycott and the tragic murder of 15-year-old Emmitt Till is what aided the national media coverage to rise. Televisions had a huge impact on giving Americans across the country an insight on how brutal racism was. The number of families in America that had a television set jumped from 56% to 92% while the Movement was taking place, giving these family’s a visual of some of the ugliness America contained.
A primary source is written by an individual who has experienced or observed the event that is being written about and is the original, raw document, such as a diary, letter, speech, or interview. A secondary source helps readers understand the primary source, and includes materials such as a textbook, magazine, or website. For this freshman survey class, a secondary source is the most helpful because it benefits the reader most when learning about the primary source being