Civil Rights vs. Human Rights or Domestic INRM Groups Instructor Pacas

International INRMs Effects on CIC Nations At the Bandung Conference, intellectuals from the former colonized regions of the southern hemisphere sought to address and eradicate the entrenched racist and exploitative system of the CIC nations. This meeting influenced many leaders that sought to put an end to exploitation not only in the southern hemisphere but also racism and exploitation suffered by minorities living within CIC nations.

Bandung Conference 1955

Racism in the U.S. Racism in the U.S. predated the War for Independence. Racism used as a means to acquire land from indigenous communities and enslave Africans to work that land so that the colonies and later nation could enjoy material wealth. Racism as a tool of social control. It found fertile soil in the Anglo-American communities of both North and South.

Killing Native Americans and Enslaving Africans = $$$$

Conventional interpretations of U.S. History of the first half of 20 th century make it seem that racism was a regional problem-primarily in southern U.S. The fact that the Federal Government did little to curb white violence against minorities lets us deduce that racism was a national phenomenon.

Cont’d The majority of U.S. society had adopted the view that darker skinned people were inferior to Anglo-Americans (Whites). That is to say that both men and women in society espoused the idea that being white made you better, smarter, better looking, etc. than any other ethnic group.

White Privilege-Manufacturing a Sense of Entitlement

Indoctrination of Self Deprecation Perhaps the worse part of the phenomenon was that many minority individuals actually adopted and gave value to this biased system. Indoctrination of self devaluation- Minorities viewed themselves as inferior to Anglo-Americans.

Civil Rights Civil Rights had been guaranteed to the African American communities in the U.S. as far back as The Federal Government traditionally did not enforce the law that demanded that African-Americans be treated equal to White-Americans.

Civil Rights Philosophy Civil Rights Advocates argued in favor of desegregation and full incorporation of minorities into mainstream American society. As such their approach to a solution was domestic. They did not seek to build international bridges with INRMs abroad to try to bring international pressure on CIC nation committing these human rights violations.

Civil Rights Activists Essentially kept pressure on federal government to deal with racist issues plaguing the minority communities. Pressure was put through peaceful demonstrations, petitions, strikes, marches, protests, etc. The decision of enforce the law that guaranteed civil rights rested squarely on government.

Human Rights Advocates Felt that white America and minority communities would always be at odds with each other. Anglo-racism was too entrenched and because it was so entrenched minorities suffered social, economic, and political hardships. Since the nation was racist- Human Rights advocates sought an international solution. They built bridges between domestic oppressed minority communities and INRMs abroad to mutually assist each other in addressing the human rights violations they suffered.

Human Rights Activists Asserted the right of every human being to be treated with respect. The right of every human being to defend themselves against violence. The right of every human being to live with dignity.

The Color Question According to many activists, sociologists and historians the race or color question as it was known was addressed by the U.S. government only when the minority groups in society began to engage in Individual Collective Affirmative Action to remedy their situation. Minorities took matters into their own hands and often answered the oppressors’ violence with self defense.

Cont’d Due to the risk of urban uprisings or ‘Revolution’ of the minority communities, the government felt compelled to address the issue of race. As long as it had been minorities suffering violence by whites- the U.S. had done little to stop this criminal activity. Now that Anglo-Americans were suffering violence the U.S. government intervened.

Cont’d Faced with the danger of revolutionary movements abroad that threatened U.S. government interests. And the possibility of urban revolutionary movements at home challenging racism the U.S. government was forced to address the domestic issue of racism and racial oppression.

Challenging Western Imperialism Instructor Pacas

Western Imperialism The West- Name given to European or European influenced societies. It refers to the region of Europe and U.S. alternatively known as CIC nations that historically have colonized or currently exercise economic colonialism on developing nations around the world. Traditionally the nations colonized and exploited are not Caucasian.

Polarized World The world was split into essentially two spheres the ‘North’ and the ‘South’. With the North/West exploiting the other half for their natural resources. The South/East are the none whites.

The Danger to the West Many nations of the West had a large domestic concentration in their population of minority groups. Many of these groups had suffered for several years of racial oppression and economic exploitation. The rhetoric of INRMs often found fertile soil in the community of oppressed disenfranchised minorities in the West.

Many ‘revolutionary’ minority leaders adopted and adapted INRM rhetoric to address the issues of racism that plagued their communities. Eloquent, angry, and uncompromising many of these leaders threatened the status quo of Anglo-American society.

Malcolm X Malcolm X was such a revolutionary leader. Advocating individual collective affirmative action to challenge the oppressive regime of ‘White America.’ Not only concentrating on issues of race but socio-economic exploitation, Malcolm X eloquently analyzed and challenged the corrupt system. Faulting capitalism as the reason for all other social ills plaguing the U.S.

Malcolm X Although assassinated in 1965 by the time of his death Malcolm X had created bridges between international INRMs and Domestic Black Revolutionaries. His rhetoric influenced Black Revolutionary movements like the Black Panthers His rhetoric even influenced later Martin Luther King Jr. the best known of the Civil Rights Activists. Martin Luther King Jr. in his later years criticized U.S. economic policies in the domestic front and foreign policy.