The civil rights movement evolved between 1955 and 1968. The seachange in strategy resulted from the feeling that the movement was largely Southern focused. After 1965, two years after the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965, civil rights activists turned their attention to the urban North. Conditions in the urban ghettoes changed little during the civil rights movement and activists viewed the fight for political rights, especially economic rights as extremely important part of the movement. Moreover, groups such as the Black Panthers advocated economic rights, cultural awareness and internationalization of the black freedom struggle. This was evident in the Ten Point program presented by the Panthers. It was also evident in Malcolm X's break with the Nation of Islam and establishment of the Organization of African American Unity modeled on the Organization of African Unity (OAU). Bot h of these events occurred in 1965.
Martin Luther King's work also reflected the shift to political and human rights. King led marches in Cicero, Illinois (a Chicago suburb), criticized increased American involvement in the Vietnam War and began plans for a Poor People's Movement and March. King's focus on anti-war, anti-militarism and poverty and human rights issues marked both a departure and continuation of the issues extant in the first part of the movement. Rather than seeing the movement as two different moments, it is best to see it as adapting to address the larger issues of societal discrimination and inequality rooted in militarism and economic inequality.
The civil rights movement was defined in its beginnings by its nonviolent approach to change. This became a defining characteristic of the movement mainly due to the involvement of Dr. Martin Luther King. Dr. King admired the approach that Mohandas Ghandi had taken to achieve the independence of India, and he wanted to replicate this approach in the United States. Many of the initial victories of the movement were due to this approach.
However, as time passed and the movement grew stronger, their strategy became more radical in some cases. This was most likely due to the fact that many people believed change to be happening in a very slow way. They wanted to achieve more meaninful change faster. This led to the escalation and radicalization of the movement.
I believe the best strategy was the nonviolent approach. The lack of violence ensured that the protesters were always seen as being on the side of the law. Therefore, it only highlighted how unfair and unjust the law was. Moreover, this approach was more likely to be appreciated by a wide range of people.
