In 1960, the anti-racism protests had a clear vision. They demanded that the racist policies of segregation be eradicated, and that voting rights were protected for minorities. A system of boycotts and peaceful demonstrations effectively brought about the abolition of segregation and the prohibition of withholding voter rights based on ethnicity. These actions, supported by leaders like Martin Luther King Jr., were effective because of their tactics of peace.
King said, “If we as Negroes succumb to the temptation of using violence in our struggle, unborn generations will be the recipients of a long and bitter night of—a long and desolate night of bitterness. And our only legacy to the future will be an endless reign of meaningless chaos.”
King had a vision to bring about a better future for his people in America, and his tactics were quickly successful. Segregation ended in 1964, followed by the Voting Rights Act in 1965. The images of police brutality and angry white racists attacking peaceful demonstrators who did not respond to violence with violence cut to the soul of the American people. Congress acted swiftly in response, and segregation was ended.
King saw that the way to fix America was not to attack it and incite violence—such a movement would give many an excuse to smear the movement as a problem and ignore the problems the protesters wanted to solve. He knew that meeting violence with violence would not solve the problem. The Civil Rights protesters of the 1960s used boycotts of businesses to show the economic impact black consumers had on markets where they were discriminated against. Violent acts were committed by racist police, not the protesters who stood up for justice in the face of persecution.
The fight for equal rights for racial minorities did not start or end with the abolition of segregation. Racism has polluted many systems in America and that needs to change. Today the fight for justice is still occurring; tragically, however, the protests are under new management.
Today the legacy of Dr. King, and his call for peace to end violence, has been trampled over. Instead of boycotts to bring about change, we have the daily looting of stores. Protests are being used to hide criminal actions. Police violence has been returned with violence against police. Graffiti covers the sides of buildings. At night rioters light fires and destroy cars.
What King feared would happen has happened due to the violence. Instead of building a better future, violent protests have stopped beneficial reforms from taking place. News outlets sought to try to cover up the violence in order to hopefully allow the issue to be discussed and dealt with, but efforts to conceal the violence have failed. For example, CNN had a live reporter discussing peaceful protests while standing in front of burning cars. These attempts ultimately have created more division as people increasingly distrust the media for trying to hide the truth.
Nobody benefits from the violence. As a result of the protests, crime in major cities has skyrocketed. The statistics are grim: shootings in New York have spiked 130%, topping 1,000 shootings this year. Homicide in Los Angeles rose 250%. Crime in Atlanta increased by 525%. Right wing counter-movements have joined in the ‘fight violence with violence’ mentality, creating more instability, damage and death. Many Americans now wonder if the violence will come to an end.
In 1963, racists burned a church in Birmingham, Alabama, that was regularly attended by a Black congregation. In 2020 anti-racism rioters set fire to St. John's Church in DC, which many recent presidents, including former president Obama, attended regularly while in office. It seems like some protesters have adopted the methods used by the racists to promote their anti-racism message.
Not all protesters support the violent acts committed in the name of social justice. Many protest peacefully, but the unity seen in the 1960 protests is gone and hope of recovering it is faint.
To this date the only national action taken to stop police brutality is to ban the use of chokeholds by police. Congress failed to pass any legislation on the subject, and President Trump signed an executive order to ban chokeholds. That's it. Some states have passed legislation in response to the protests, but racism is a national issue and beneficial federal actions that should have been implemented to promote justice and safety for minorities have not been passed.
Dr. King had a vision for the social justice movement to not combat violence with violence. In the midst of racial tension, protests can be used to bring about needed change, however defending violence and vandalism fails to promote the cause of social justice. Violence will not solve the problem of violence, it will only create more pain and cause more division.