The women’s rights movement is generally said to of started in 1848 with the Seneca Falls
Convention.
This event brought together 300 people, mostly women, to discuss and demand improvements in
women’s rights, such as the right to vote and the right to work.
The movement is currently still ongoing, while significant progress has been made, there are still
many problems women face.
Advocates continue to fight for equal rights, with the movement still continuing to evolve and
address new issues like reproductive rights.
Past women’s rights movements have laid the groundwork for the fight for rights and justices
today by establishing a foundation for equality, challenging patriarchal norms, and inspiring new
movements.
Women’s rights movements in the past have achieved many things like the right to vote, a more
equal environment in the workplace, and reproductive rights regarding decisions about their own
bodies
The movements have given political representation for women, with women holding over 28% of
congress seats, which is significantly more than the 20th century when they had none.
The gender pay gap has also narrowed and as of 2024 women over 16 earn 85 cents for every
dollar earned by men, compared to the 1980s where they only earned 65 cents per dollar
The civil rights movement in the US was a social movement from 1954-1968, which aimed to
abolish legalised racial segregation and discrimination.
Activists introduced various strategies, including nonviolent protests, boycotts, and marches, to
draw attention to inequalities and pressure the government to act.
Examples of these strategies was The Civil Rights Act of 1964 challenged discrimination based on
race, color, religion, sex, or national origin, and the Voting Rights Act of 1965 ensured voting
rights for all citizens. Prominent figures, such as Martin Luther King, Jr., Rosa Parks, John Lewis,
and others, led the movement and inspired millions of people.
Today, the US civil rights movement have a huge impact on the fight for justice, inspiring many
others to fight for their own rights.
The US civil rights movement has significantly impacted the fight for justice today, inspiring
other individuals, groups and communities to fight for their own rights and inspiring activism,
challenging justice and expanding access to rights and opportunities
It continues to fuel movements for equality and justice, influencing how we address the various
forms of discrimination and injustice.
The US civil rights movement also exposed the systematic nature of racism and discrimination in
American society, leading to many more people challenging systematic injustice.
According to Pew Research Center projections. The percentage of black voters has risen slowly in
the past two decades. In 2012, for example, Black voters represented 13.2% of all eligible voters. In
the last U.S. presidential election in 2020, they represented 13.5%.
This source highlights the impact the U.S Civil Rights Movement has had on the number of black
voters in the U.S today, as before it, there were no black voters.
This source is a photograph of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr voting as his wife, Coretta Scott King,
waits her turn in Atlanta, Georgia 1964.
The photograph was taken shortly before the Voting Rights Act of 1965, which removed barriers
like literacy tests and poll taxes that had kept Black voters from casting their ballots, highlighting
the impact of MLK jr.’s ‘I Have A Dream Speech’.
How is your exhibition relevant to the fight for justice today?
- It is relevant to the fight for justice today because it connects past movements to ongoing
struggles currently and shows how activism continues to grow.
How can current civil rights movements benefit from learning about your exhibition?
- Current civil rights movement can benefit from our exhibition as current movements such as
Black Lives Matter and gender equality campaigns can learn past useful strategies such as non
violent protests. Our exhibition also provides a historical framework for current activists and can
help them make their own strategies.
How would you measure the success of your exhibition in demonstrating the civil rights
movements then and now?
- we could measure the success of our project by receiving feedback from others and see their
interactivity with our exhibition
Which past civil rights movements influenced your project?
- The American Civil Rights Movement (1954-1968) and Women’s Rights Movement (beginning
in 1848).
Can you identify possible limitations in your presentations/exhibition?
- We could have researched other civil rights movements such as gay rights movement and
Indigenous rights to further explain the driving question. We could have made more items to
further show the impact of past civil rights movements on today and for viewers to engage more
with our exhibition.
Are there key events that influenced your group to develop this exhibition?
‘I have a dream’ speech by Martin Luther King jr- challenged the systematic racism and
discrimination in America in 1963.
Seneca Falls Convention (1848), it aimed to discuss the social, civil, and religious rights of women,
the rise of second-wave feminism in the 1960s and 70s focusing on reproductive rights and equal
pay.
What skills do you believe you have developed to complete this task? E.g. critical thinking,
creativity, empathy, problem solving, research, communication, etc.
-creativity, researching + knowledge on civil rights movements, problem solving, teamwork,
communication
According to Pew Research Center projections. The percentage of black voters has risen
slowly in the past two decades. In 2012, for example, Black voters represented 13.2% of
all eligible voters. In the last U.S. presidential election in 2020, they represented 13.5%.
This source highlights the impact the U.S Civil Rights Movement has had on the
number of black voters in the U.S today, as before it, there were no black voter