In addition to the above factors, African-Americans had
become much more of an economic force during and after World War II, and this made their
efforts at boycotting much more effective. It forced segregationists or those on the
fence to consider how much they were willing to sacrifice in terms of their own
businesses, and in many if not most cases, the almighty dollar trumped age old feelings
on race.
We also cannot overlook the importance of
television, a nearly instant and national media that brought the ugly face of racism
into Americans living rooms each night. It made it harder for some to ignore the need
for civil rights and motivated the younger generation of whites and blacks to actively
work in favor of it, such as they did during Freedom Summer in
1964.
Lastly, let's not overlook the changing viewpoints of
the court system, especially at the federal level, which time and again ruled that
segregation was unconstitutional, reversing longstanding pro-Jim Crow rulings that had
come before the 1950s.
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