Shared struggles: Civil rights, decolonization, and gender

You’ve probably heard of the Civil Rights Movement. It was an effort to get rights and equal rights for Black Americans. The people involved in the movement were part of a global network. Many American activists connected their struggle to decolonization movements around the world.

Colonialism is when one country takes control over another place. The colonizer then takes advantage of its people and resources. Decolonization is the process of ending colonization.

Twin victories: Racial equality and World War II

During World War II (1939-1945), the Allies made promises about racial equality. The Allies refers to Great Britain, the U.S., and Russia who had joined together to fight in World War II.

Many Black Americans did not trust these promises. Black Americans had been deceived after the First World War. Many Black soldiers fought for the U.S. They had come home to discrimination. So why, asked many, should they fight Hitler and save democracy? During World War II, Black American newspapers launched the Double-V Campaign: victory against Nazi racism and victory against racism in America.

During the war, the American government tried to present itself as a supporter of democracy and human rights. Racial segregation contradicted this image. Hitler tried to use these tensions. Western leaders condemned the 1935 Nazi Nuremberg law. Nazis said they were no different than segregation in the U.S.

It wasn’t just America’s enemies who saw this weakness. Kamaladevi Chattopadhyay was a leader of the Indian independence and women’s rights movements. She worked with Mohandas Gandhi. She traveled across the American South in the 1940s. She saw American racism first-hand. After the war, other foreign officials visited the United States. They returned to their homes on the African and Asian continents with stories of racism.

Global connections

Civil rights leaders in America were influenced by anti- colonial leaders. The Indian independence movement led by Gandhi was important. It strongly influenced leaders like Martin Luther King Jr. Gandhi’s philosophy of non-violent resistance was based on the concept of Ahimsa. This is a principle from Hinduism, Buddhism, and Jainism. It means “non-injury.” Gandhi and his followers used non-violent resistance. They were able to end British colonialism in India after World War II. American civil rights activist Bayard Rustin traveled to India after Gandhi was killed. Rustin taught King about Gandhi’s methods. In 1959, King traveled to India. This trip strengthened his beliefs. He thought that non-violent resistance could bring down colonialism abroad and racism in America.

The Civil Rights Movement was connected to anti-colonial struggles. Historian Keisha Blaine has shown how Black women formed connections. Women like Amy Jacques Garvey and Mittie Maude Lena Gordon were part of global movements. Blain writes:

Perhaps the most important aspect of black nationalist women’s political life was their interest in and commitment to black internationalism. . . These women understood that the struggle for black rights in the United States. . . could not be divorced from the global struggles for freedom.

Women of color in the U.S. and in the colonized world were fighting against two oppressions: colonialism and racism and gender discrimination.

Civil rights and decolonization in the Cold War

The Cold War (1947-1989) between the U.S. and the Soviet Union started. So did decolonization. American leaders watched as their French and British allies lost many colonies. Civil rights were now a national security issue.

New nations in Africa and Asia emerged. They joined the United Nations. Both Americans and Soviets wanted these countries as allies. Many allied with the Soviet Union or stayed neutral because of racial discrimination in the U.S.

The Soviets pointed out America’s hypocrisy. Hypocrisy is when someone does not follow their own rules. The Soviets made films and posters about racial inequality in America.

President Harry Truman worked hard to convince the U.S. Supreme Court to desegregate schools. The U.S. Supreme Court is the highest court in the U.S. Truman wanted to desegregate schools because Soviet propaganda was harming American interests abroad. Propaganda is information or rumors that are often not accurate that are used to influence people’s opinions. To gain allies in the Cold War, America needed to appeal to leaders and nations of color.

Civil rights leaders in the U.S. and decolonization leaders around the world understood that their futures were connected. King opposed the Vietnam War. He believed it was racist and imperialist. He called for an end to nuclear weapons.

In 1960, a group of Black students in North Carolina formed a new organization: the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC). SNCC connected civil rights to decolonization. Members worked to end Apartheid in South Africa. Under Apartheid white and Black people had to live separately. Black people and other South Africans of color were denied their rights. This included the right to vote.

SNCC declared itself a human rights organization. It wanted to end “colonialism, racism, and economic exploitation wherever these conditions exist.”

Conclusion

The Civil Rights Movement was linked with decolonization movements in Africa and Asia. This influence flowed both ways. Leaders shared ideas and strategies.