When we think about the Civil Rights Movement, the March on Washington, Martin Luther King’s “I Have a Dream” speech and the passage of the Civil Rights Act are usually the images that come to mind. Yet we tend to overlook is that this was only a chapter of a global movement. Gaines argues that one should consider international independence movements and racial conflicts to truly understand the development of the civil rights movement at home.
“American Exceptionalism” is a term US leaders have thrown ahead to express that this nation is the greatest in the world. However, Gaines notes that although the Civil Rights Movement was an inspiration to many, the US was not as exceptional as it may seem. For instance, the Civil Rights movement was not the first of its kind. African American leaders looked to the decolonization of the Gold Coast and India abroad as inspiration for the movement at home. This was certainly true in the case of Martin Luther King who preached that nonviolent demonstrations, similar to those of Gandhi in India, were necessary to peacefully spread the message of the movement. The decolonization efforts of the Gold Coast and Western Africa inspired …show more content…
With the examples of the Cold War and America’s soft power strategy as well as hesitation from previous administrations, Gaines demonstrates that domestic developments are not as revolutionary and amazing as they may seem. Although Gaines stresses that we shouldn’t undermine the struggles of African American leaders, one can only wonder how much power did such leaders have in pursuing civil rights and were they being manipulated by those at the top. As a result we must question whether American Exceptionalism took a halt or if it’s true at
“American Exceptionalism” is a term US leaders have thrown ahead to express that this nation is the greatest in the world. However, Gaines notes that although the Civil Rights Movement was an inspiration to many, the US was not as exceptional as it may seem. For instance, the Civil Rights movement was not the first of its kind. African American leaders looked to the decolonization of the Gold Coast and India abroad as inspiration for the movement at home. This was certainly true in the case of Martin Luther King who preached that nonviolent demonstrations, similar to those of Gandhi in India, were necessary to peacefully spread the message of the movement. The decolonization efforts of the Gold Coast and Western Africa inspired …show more content…
With the examples of the Cold War and America’s soft power strategy as well as hesitation from previous administrations, Gaines demonstrates that domestic developments are not as revolutionary and amazing as they may seem. Although Gaines stresses that we shouldn’t undermine the struggles of African American leaders, one can only wonder how much power did such leaders have in pursuing civil rights and were they being manipulated by those at the top. As a result we must question whether American Exceptionalism took a halt or if it’s true at