The Role of African American Women in the Civil Right Movement

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For a long time, women have been fighting for equal opportunities in society. They have endured discrimination in education and employment, demoralization of verbal abuse, the pain of segregation and racism. It was at the height of the Civil war that most women considered the need for their freedom from various forms of oppressions. However, most organizations disregarded women by giving them low-class jobs while men took up the prestigious front line positions.

It is amazing that African American women played a significant part in influencing the Civil Right Movement. However, it is saddening that in history, no one remembers these women for their roles or very few of them receive honor and credit.

They worked tirelessly while risking their lives and those of their families. Also, their activism spirit made most of them earn a bad reputation in society. They sacrificed their energy and time in the fight for liberation. All these women had several things in common which worked for their advantage.

The role of women in the Civil Rights Movement started to change in the 1960s. During this time, women became more involved in program development and executions as well as other specific activities. However, they were still more involved in the hospitality and membership relations departments.

These women excelled in their departments even sometimes outshining men. This led to the Movement’s success. African American women worked tirelessly to fight racism and gain equality. They, therefore, showed a united front in their organizations by working closely with men but at the same time airing their dissatisfactions in the organizations.

In the course of their fight, some women gave up the fight and accepted to work behind the scenes and support the male leaders. However, some women remained adamant and refused lesser positions.

The lesser positions involved washing dishes, preparing food, typing minutes in meetings, moral support as well as occasional sexual gratifications to men leaders. The other group of women found these roles demeaning and hence fought for equal partnership alongside their male peers. These women were very certain that their contributions and ideas would be significant in building the Society.

Some of the greatest women activists were Ella Baker and Septima Clark. These women worked alongside men but confronted their style of leadership. They belonged to the older generation group of women activists. For example, Ella became the executive secretary of SCLC at the age of 57 in 1960; a position that was previously male-dominated.

Ella Baker was born in Norfolk, Virginia in November 1903. Her mother worked as a community health worker while her father worked at Norfolk-Washington ferry. She began her activism career immediately after graduating from Shaw University in Raleigh. During depression times, she worked for a WPA consumer education project in New York City. In 1938, she worked with NAACP where she recruited members and raised money in the South before becoming the National Director of branches five years later.

She fought for open-minded leadership of the movement. She disapproved the leadership style of the King and advocated for other people within the movement to have the opportunity to grow in leadership. This has led to the portrayal of Ella Baker as a leader who worked behind the scenes but very significant.

Another woman activist was Septima Clark. She also belonged to the older women civil rights leaders. Clark was born in Charleston, North Carolina in 1898. She worked in SCLC where she confronted the male staff and attacked any form of sexism in leadership. She previously worked as a teacher in Charleston public schools before losing her job in 1956 after the passing of a law by legislators prohibiting state employees from being members of NAACP.

Similar to Ella Baker, she attacked the leadership style of the King. She advocated for democratic running of SCLC by delegating duties. She also confronted other ministers in the movement who only believed that only the King could lead the movement. These ministers believed that if they expanded leadership within the movement, they would be demeaning the King’s leadership abilities.

Conclusion

Women have fought for equal opportunities since time immemorial. They have sacrificed their time and lives to achieve these. During the civil movement era, the women stood up, refused the backstage and fought for the positions previously reserved for men. Ella Baker and Septima Clark were the feminist pioneers of civil activism. Ella Baker confronted the leadership style of the King and asked for liberal administration. Septima Clark, on the other hand, confronted any form of sexism in the movement.

Reference list

Crawford, Rouse, and Woods Barbara. Women in the Civil Rights Movement: Trailblazers and Torchbearers. Bloomington: Indiana University Publishers, 1990.