In the development of your argument, analyze the larger economic, cultural, and social context in which these civil rights achievements were made.
The civil rights achievements in the United States were made during a tumultuous period marked by significant shifts in the global economic, cultural, and social landscape. This period was characterized with the emergence of new global powers, rapid economic growth, increasing urbanization, and cultural changes influenced by new forms of media, migration, and education. The civil rights achievements of this time were also closely interlinked with the larger struggle for social justice, anti-colonialism, and anti-discrimination movements happening in various parts of the word.
During the early 20th century to the 1960s, the world saw major economic transitions with the decline of European colonial powers, emergence of the United States and the Soviet Union as global superpowers, and the formation of new nations through decolonization. The civil rights movement in the United States was partly influenced by global economic competition and the need for the U.S. to portray itself as a defender of democracy, freedom, and justice across the world.
During the Cold War, the Soviet Union and the communist bloc heavily criticized the United States for its racial segregation, racial violence, and denial of civil rights to African Americans. As a result, President Harry S. Truman signed an executive order to desegregate the U.S. military in 1948, which opened up opportunities for African Americans in the military and greatly contributed to the advancement of civil rights.
The economic mobilization of the United States during World War II and the period immediately following the war helped to set the stage for civil rights advancements. The rapid industrialization and urbanization created new job opportunities and, along with them, increased demands for labor from African Americans who had long been restricted to low-paying agricultural and domestic work. The migration of African Americans to cities provided them with better employment opportunities and also exposed them to progressive ideologies that would later fuel the civil rights movement. Additionally, the rise of the American middle class and the growth of the consumer society during the post-war period contributed to the increasing demands for equal access to public services and equal treatment in employment, housing, and education.
In the cultural sphere, civil rights achievements unfolded along with broader shifts towards media expansion, global consciousness, and the cultural diffusion of human rights values. Television played a crucial role in raising public awareness about civil rights issues and even served to provoke a sense of moral outrage among many Americans. As images of African American protestors being violently repressed by the authorities filled the living rooms of millions of Americans, public support for the civil rights movement amplified. The spread of these images beyond the national borders of the United States also contributed to the internationalization of the struggle for civil rights.
Socially, the civil rights movement was also closely interconnected with other social movements and protest campaigns that emerged during the 20th century, including the feminist movement, anti-colonial movements, the anti-apartheid movement, and the student protests of the 1960s. These movements created a sense of solidarity among various groups of people who were fighting for justice, equality, and human dignity. This interconnectedness among social movements and the shared values of social justice, equality, and freedom contributed to the success of the civil rights movement in the United States.
In conclusion, civil rights achievements in the United States were the result of multifaceted interactions between economic, cultural, and social factors at global and domestic levels. The growing international importance of the U.S. in the post-war world, the rapid economic expansion, the emergence of new forms of media, and the interconnectedness of various social justice movements all played a significant role in shaping the civil rights movement and facilitating its successes.