There …show more content…
In her essay, “The Long Civil Rights Movement and the Political Uses of the Past”, she discussed the political uses of the past as certain groups aim to enrich themselves; political influence equates to power. The employment of an African-centered perspective in the discussion of the Civil Rights Movement allows others to understand that there are multiple ways of viewing an experience. Manipulated for political purposes, the historical narrative of the movement is lost in the culture wars of the country. Hall said, “The civil rights movement circulates through American memory in forms and through channels that are at once powerful, dangerous, and hotly contested.” Some organizations have agendas to either stall or reverse the progress made during the movement. The end goal is to cause people to lose sight of the importance of the movement and forget its original goals. While much progress occurred during the movement, it is not sufficient, as racial gaps remain large in several key areas such as health, and wealth. Using the narrative to benefit themselves, political parties are to blame too. For instance, groups depict different accounts of the era; liberals often claim the movement was the cause of racist Southerners while conservatives point to wild colorblind