The first ten amendments to the United States Constitution form what is known as the Bill of Rights. It is essentially a summary of the fundamental rights held by all U.S. citizens. However, Black citizens during the Civil Rights Movement of the 1950s-70s believed that this document and its mandate guaranteed the civil rights and civil liberties of all people; they were interpreted differently for people of color. The freedoms outlined in the Constitution have not been enforced by the United States government for the black race the same way it has for the white race. “You treat us all so badly,” just as if we were animals.” These are the words spoken by Mrs. Rosa Parks, a Negro seamstress. Whose refusal to move to the back of the bus and give up his seat to a white man sparked the enormously successful Montgomery, Alabama, bus boycott in the winter of 1956. But on a larger scale it fueled the American black civil rights movement. This incident almost single-handedly moved Negroes to insist on equal rights under the laws of the United States government and to end the segregation of all public places. To build on Montgomery's victory, black leaders and ministers gathered in Atlanta, GA in 1957 to form the Southern Christian Leadership Conference. The primary function of the SCLC would be to coordinate the efforts of the numerous church-based civil rights groups. The SCLC's mission was to win all civil liberties through law and not violence. With Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. as president, the SCLC would become the most powerful civil rights organization in the country. With work to do in all areas to bring about social change for Negroes, especially the segregated schools of the South, the SCLC have made this their first strike on the branch - figuratively speaking. In 1954 the Supreme Court issued its decision in Brown v. Board of Education. The Court ruled that separate but equal segregated schools violated the Fourteenth Amendment and that school desegregation must occur "with all deliberate speed." of most state governments. State bureaucracies came into force to intimidate anyone associated with the civil rights movement. Black protestors and sympathizers of the civil rights movement were jailed... middle of paper... the enormous musical development of the 20th century has its roots in black American culture. Thanks to the CIVIL RIGHTS movement Today, more blacks get a good education and a good job than ever before, although there is still a long way to go. Some probably believe that the civil rights movement is over... but is it true? In many areas of our country, neighborhood segregation still exists. Realtors and homeowners conspiring to sell only to whites in order to keep blacks and other races out. The right to marry whoever you want outside of your race is still being debated today by parties other than the engaged couple. Although blacks have made some efforts in the employment sectors. Yet, even in 2004 we are still getting first place (black appointee) in some professions. Meanwhile, black leaders and other influential black citizens are urging the black race to continue to develop and maintain a sense of pride in their culture. The phrase and song title made famous by soul singer, Mr. James Brown, "Black and I'm Proud" and its sister phrase "Black is beautiful" remind black people (and white people) that they have a lot to be proud of From.