Introduction
The summer of 1964 in the United States was a critical transitional moment in the history of civil law. The Mississippi was dominated by violent racism. Civil inequality in the state remained unaddressed by the state for a long time. Young people from all over the country took matters into their own hands, organizing schools of freedom. They achieved their goal, but, unfortunately, at an extremely high cost.
Political Objectives
Thousands of young students traveled to Mississippi for the summer of 1964. Since the hippie subculture was widespread in the country, the activists intended to solve the problem peacefully. The political motives of the supporters of freedom echoed the basic tenet of the philosophical movement – a person should be free. Bob Moses understood that it is necessary to take steps to attract the attention of the authorities (Watson 2). Thus, he broke the isolation and silence of the state by recruiting students to organize free schools.
The fearlessness and activities of many activists were discouraged by the higher authorities. The organization of the community was stopped neither by the burning of schools nor by the constant control of the guardians of order. As a result, they fought for the right to vote for people of color and choose their power. These rights are consonant with the values of democracy. None of the activists opposed the republican system as such. Therefore, schools of freedom were organized, in which everyone could ask a question and discuss an acutely social topic without fear of being punished.
Despite the courage to speak openly about the civil rights of activists, fear circulated among the community. Such fear was the result of totalitarian traits that were implicitly manifested in society at that time. Every person of the Summer of Freedom could fall under the influence of organizations that infringe on citizens of color and activists who speak out for these rights (Watson 2). The struggle was fought not only to recognize the community but also for its further peaceful coexistence.
Consequences
The events that happened that summer caused a resonance even within the established community. The discontent of people of color was manifested in the fact that the storm that arose in the media was caused only by the fact that among the dead, two were northerners. The equality of rights that society has fought for is impossible without internal consent within. Subsequently, it was achieved due to such figures as Bob Moses and many others.
The foundations laid by the events of that summer were essential in the subsequent history of the country. Not only was the attention of the highest authorities attracted, residents of other states also felt the evil and horror of racial discrimination. Many important ideas, such as political pluralism, which is the foundation of liberalism, and the democratic right to self-determination, received a significant impetus in developing civil law. It is difficult to overestimate the legacy of the schools of freedom, which taught young people, including future politicians, to resolve conflicts peacefully.
Conclusion
Even though a truly free society, devoid of premeditated historical stereotypes, had to wait long after the Summer of Freedom, the country took an important step. The hippie philosophy implicitly promoted the future provisions of liberal democracy, which is the political regime in the United States today. The memory of the tragically dead Cheney, Schwerner, and Goodman is honored to this day and will be kept as long as there is violence in the world. The struggle for universal human values – freedom, honesty, and peace of existence – will always continue, regardless of the political system of the state.
Work Cited
Watson, Bruce. “The Summer of Our Discontent.” American Heritage, 2010, Web.