Introduction:
1945 was the beginning of the social and legal changes towards the African Americans. Up until this date and even following this date to a certain extent, African Americans were treated extremely poorly and unequal. During 1945 they came together in order to try and overcome the inequality and started to stand up for their rights and freedoms. This is also known as the period which the US Civil Rights movement began.
Legal Issues:
Throughout 1945 there were many legal issues which made Black African Americans separate to White African Americans. The attempts to desegregate education began in 1950 and continued until 1955 when over 500 schools where integrated. In this same year the Supreme Court ruled that states did not have to desegregate schools immediately. As seen in source 1, African American students who attempted to entre an all white’s school were surrounded with violence and aggression towards them. It got to the stage in 1957 when Federal troops were sent to escort the students to school and to their classes for a whole year before the local community final accepted desegregation. Another Legal issue was the Civil Rights Act 1964. Although President Kennedy was assassinated, President Lyndon Johnson gained enough support, from both White and Black Americans to pass the bill which gave African Americans many rights.
Social Issues:
In attempt to bring awareness to the public about the way which black African Americans were being treated many social events took place. These include the well-known Bus Boycotts which took place on public transport throughout many cities when black people would refuse to sit in their allocated seats and the back, remaining in the ‘whites only’ section towards the front of the bus. ‘Sit Ins’ and ‘freedom rides’ were non-violent ways of protesting against segregation. Sit ins, often turned to ‘wade ins’ at the local swimming pool and ‘read ins’ at the local library, a majority of the places which refused service to African Americans, in attempt to eliminate segregation. Freedom rides occurred when African Americans and white supporters began taking interstate busses from Washington DC, to the two most segregated states, Alabama and Mississippi.
While on these buses or at the terminals, the protest group would sit in the ‘whites only’ section, this stirred great violence and conflict. However as a result of the freedom rides the federal government had to protect the freedom riders hence banning segregation on interstate busses. Lastly the most important social issue was the protest marches. They took major effect in the 1960s when television broadcasting was introduced. The ability to broadcast the protest marches which approximately 200,000 people attended, allowed others all over the world to see the injustice actions performed by the US was not supported by many peoples.
The violent reactions appalled both white American as well as politicians.
Eventually these marches lead to President Kennedy to begin planning a Civil Rights Bill to go before the US congress, in order to protect African Americans and abolish segregation.

Main Issue:
The main issue which bought about change to African American rights was the Civil Rights Act of 1964. The passing of this bill was influenced by The March on Washington as it helped President Kennedy to persuade influential people to support African Americans. The March on Washington is well known for the famous ‘I have a Dream’ speech by Martin Luther King Junior which bought awareness to an extraordinary large crowd present at the time and also as it was broadcasted on television.
When the civil rights act of 1964 was passed it was a significant event as it bought a large variety of protection and freedom to the African American people. It was such a important event, not only because it bought freedom it was now a part of the legal law, which had to be obeyed by society. It was an opportunity for the African