The civil rights movement of the 1960s was when African Americans fought for equality and fairness. One way they did this was through protests, sit-ins, and marches.
And while these are all important aspects of the civil rights movement, there is one that is often overlooked: water fountains.
Water fountains have long been a symbol of the civil rights movement and the fight against discrimination and racism. In the 1960s, water fountains were often segregated, with “Whites Only” and “Blacks Only” signs clearly visible.
This was a stark reminder of the different treatment that blacks and whites received in society.
The water fountain became a powerful symbol of the fight against racism and segregation.
Yes, water fountains. You may be thinking, how could something so simple symbolize such a momentous and important period?
But it did. And here’s how: during the civil rights movement, African Americans were discriminated against when trying to drink from water fountains.
They were made to drink from separate “colored” water fountains, which were often dirty and had less water than the “white” water fountains.
So, when African Americans began to drink from the “white” water fountains, it was a powerful statement that said we were just as good as anyone else – and deserved to be treated as such.
Water fountains symbolize the 1960s civil rights movement
By Ed Worley February 22, 2018
BIRMINGHAM, Ala.–Two water fountains stood side-by-side. One was a modern machine capable of delivering cool water.
The other is a sink with a water fountain attached to deliver tap water, its basin showing the stains of the hard water flowing through the plumbing.
The modern water fountain had a sign over it: “Whites”; the other “Colored.”
There they stood, symbols of the racial divide that gripped the South in the days leading up to the civil rights movement.
Today they stand in the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute, reminding people of the civil rights struggles of the 1960s.
About 35 Soldiers and civilians from the Army Contracting Command headquarters staff at Redstone Arsenal, Ala., visited the institute on Feb.1. Mike Weitzel, ACC historian, used the trip to educate participants on the history of the U.S. Army as it dealt with segregation and desegregation, and the Army’s influence on the civil rights movement.
“The Army’s history, like the history presented at the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute, is not pretty,” Weitzel said.
“There were actions that we should rightfully be shocked about. The histories are also stories of positive change. Ultimately, I hope the experience leaves participants with both a feeling of pride in accomplishment on where the Army and the nation have come, and the resolve to stand up for American equality.
According to the institute’s website, its mission is to “enlighten each generation about civil and human rights by exploring our common past and working together in the present to build a better future.
“Its photographs, artwork, video displays, and statues remind visitors of the civil rights movement and “the nonviolent protest against racial discrimination and injustice that ultimately led to the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.”
In conclusion,
Racial injustice will never cease as long as people like Majorie Taylor Green can speak about and refuse to back down from the ‘national divorce’ proposal.
This proposal signifies going back to a CIVIL WAR. RED STATES AGAINST BLUE STATES DIVIDED NATIONALLY, WHEREAS THE RED STATES WANTED TO KEEP SLAVERY ALIVE, AND THE BLUE STATES WANTED TO ABOLISH IT!
Needless to say…Taylor-Green is mentally twisted and should be committed to St. Elizabeth Mental Hospital in Washington, DC.
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Notable resident patient
Well-known patients of St. Elizabeths have included would-be presidential assassin John Hinckley Jr., who shot Ronald Reagan.