US Diplomat Lyngrid Smith Rawlings delivered a talk on the topic of "Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s: A Black Woman's Perspective, Then and Now" here at the Kinnaird College for Women on Monday.
The lecture was held in connection with the US commemoration of the "Black History Month." During the sixties, the press was a vital part of portraying the horror of the Civil Rights struggle to the entire nation because many of the sit-ins, boycotts, marches and other forms of protest were televised to the nation to view on the nightly news, Rawlings noted. Much progress has been made since the 60's.
Since then, the struggle for equality and full recognition can be characterised as a time when African Americans and other minorities are moving towards a more just society, she said.
Ms Rawlings traced the African-American history from 1,619 onwards and pointed out that the struggle for equal treatment was very destructive, disruptive and demeaning for the Black Americans' psyche and family structure. During the 1960's, the rate of economic, social, legislative and political progress was much more significant to the total community.
During this period, many African Americans began to believe that the United States was willing to change in ways that there would be more freedom and justice for all citizens, she pointed.
Each February, Black History Month honours the struggles and triumphs of millions of Black American citizens who have had to overcome the most devastating obstacles - slavery, degradation, injustice, hatred, prejudice, poverty - as well as their contributions to the nation's cultural, economic, intellectual and political life. 2007 marks the 81st annual celebration of Negro History Week, which was instituted in 1926 by Carter G. Woodson, a noted scholar and historian.
"The struggle for freedom, justice and equality has been challenging. Each generation has had to continue the fight to full citizenship," said the American diplomat Rawlings. "Each generation has had to rededicate itself to making the Nation and the world a better place for all. Today the struggle for African Americans is economic opportunities in our inner cities and rural areas, but we have made significant progress toward gaining our rightful place in America."
On the occasion, an exhibition was also arranged at the Kinnaird College by the US Consulate's Public Affairs Section highlighting various aspects of the Civil Rights Movement.
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