What were civil rights activists seeking to accomplish through their use of direct action during the early 1960s and did they succeed?

May 5, 2024May 5, 2024 Discipline: American history
March: Book 2 Essay Assignment
Though the 1950s had witnessed significant challenges to racial segregation and inequality, a younger generation of civil rights activists pushed for more rapid change during the 1960s. New organizations such as the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee encouraged widespread use of direct action such as sit-ins, the Freedom Rides, and voter registration campaigns to create a more equitable society. After reading March: Book 2, which chronicles the experiences of John Lewis during the early 1960s, along with other supporting primary sources, address the following questions:
What were civil rights activists seeking to accomplish through their use of direct action during the early 1960s and did they succeed?

In answering these questions, you must draw upon at least FIVE separate scenes from Lewis’ book, addressing the specific tactics used by civil rights activists, the goals they sought, the individuals involved, and the obstacles they faced.

Be sure to use Chapter 25 in the Foner text and at least two of the primary sources included in the March: Book 2 Materials folder in Course Content to inform your work. This assignment is meant to assess your ability to interpret both primary and secondary historical sources.
Guidelines
    • Provide a strong thesis. The thesis should be a concise statement in the first paragraph of your essay that clearly answers the assigned questions. Consider both specific and larger goals sought by civil rights activists and whether they achieved them.
    • Develop an appropriate and concise historical context for the paper. Provide a historical background that explains how the freedom movement evolved by the early 1960s, addressing specific tactics and events such as sit-ins, the Freedom Rides, the Birmingham protests, the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, and voter registration campaigns. Be sure to draw on the Foner textbook and sources from the Blackboard assignment folder to develop this context.
    • Use specific evidence from March: Book 2 and additional primary sources to support your thesis. The examples you select should provide support for your argument; do not merely provide a description of the contents of several sources or summarize their overall content.
    • Cite your sources properly and include a works cited page. Be sure to cite both paraphrased and directly quoted information, placing the page number(s) on which you found the cited information in parentheses at the end of the sentence. For example, material from March: Book 2 would be cited within your essay as follows: (Lewis et al. 103-4). The entry in the Works Cited page would be:
      Lewis, John, Andrew Aydin, and Nate Powell. March: Book 2. Top Shelf, 2015. Print.
      A sample Works Cited entry for an online document would be:
      Peck, Jim. “Freedom Ride.” CORE-lator, May 1961. Civil Rights Movement Archive. . Accessed on 1 November 2020.
      A Works Cited entry for the textbook would look like this:
      Foner, Eric.  Give Me Liberty: An American History, Vol. 2.  5th Seagull ed., W.W. Norton, 2017. Print.
If you would like additional guidance with MLA format, see the following websites:
    • Provide a conclusion that effectively wraps up your argument and leaves the reader convinced that you have supported your thesis.

Logistics
    • Your analysis should be five pages, typed, and double-spaced. Use one-inch margins and a suitable 12 pt. font such as Times New Roman.
    • Do not provide a separate title page. Include your name, the course and section number, and the date single-spaced in the upper left-hand corner of the first page.
    • Provide a meaningful title for your paper and center it above the first paragraph.
    • Always make sure that you have a back-up copy for yourself.
    • Allow yourself plenty of time to read the materials, consider the question, revise an initial draft, and proofread your final paper. Please feel free to discuss with me any questions or concerns you may have about the paper before it is due.
    • Remember to adhere to the Academic Honesty policies stated in the syllabus.
How to Post Your Assignment
    • Save your essays in an accessible format (doc, .docx, .pdf) with a clear name identifying the file as your own.
    • Go to the “Assignments” link on the course main menu and click on “March: Book 2 Essay.” Attach your file no later than Sunday, May 5, at 11:59 pm. Late papers will be penalized one letter grade for each day past the assigned deadline.
    • You may type a message in the “Submission” box, but be sure to attach your file by clicking on the “Browse local files” or “Browse cloud service” button, attaching your file, and selecting “Submit.”
    • Remember: You are to post your assignment online. No e-mailed papers will be accepted, unless an emergency has arisen and you have already cleared it with me.
 
Checklist for Success
After you complete your paper, measure it against the following criteria:
    • Does your essay answer the assigned questions?
    • Does your essay present a thesis in the opening paragraph? Does your paper present clear ideas, provide concrete evidence, and demonstrate effective reasoning? 
    • Is your essay clear and effectively organized? Is each paragraph in your paper organized around a well-defined topic?  Does each paragraph begin with a clear topic sentence? Does each paragraph relate to your thesis?
    • Do you properly cite evidence from the assigned readings? Did you include a works cited page?
    • Have you checked your essay for spelling mistakes, grammatical problems, and misplaced or misused punctuation?
    • Have you made sure that your paper conforms to the guidelines given above under “logistics”?


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