Civil Rights Movement: The Children's March Of 1963

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When one thinks about the “Civil Rights Movement” of the 1960’s, figures such as Martin Luther King Jr. and events such as King’s “I Have a Dream” speech often come to mind. However, the one major factor in the advancement of the Civil Rights Movement that usually goes unrecognized is the Children’s March of 1963. Located in the heart of one of the most racist cities in the South, Birmingham (or Bombingham) was the site of Bull Connor’s tenure as Commissioner of Public Safety, which sounds innocent enough; in reality, his job was essentially to make sure that segregation was still in place, by any means. This rule went for black men, women, and even children, as exemplified by the abuse children faced while protesting throughout the streets of Birmingham. In a twist of events, the children embraced this challenge head-on, and in the end, it truly was the unrecognized minors of …show more content…
Instead, the adults were replaced with children, ranging from ages 4-17, who volunteered to be arrested and be sent to jail. While Dr. King did not agree with this, as it weighed down on his conscience, he did nothing to stop the peaceful marching, which was led by Reverend James Bevel. Children all across the town of Birmingham went to protest with the hope that they would make a difference in the cause for their equality within society. When the Birmingham police force began to retaliate against the children with the same violence they used with adults, the children were not fazed ; in fact, when the police began to hose them down, they brought bathing suits. This type of counteracting peaceful endurance against violence led to much-needed attention to the Civil Rights Movement. Eventually, on May 10th, President JFK himself called for Birmingham to completely