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Abstract

As the Cold War emerged following the Second World War, the United States portrayed themselves to the world as the protectors of freedom in the face of the repressive communist states. This rhetoric was used by the United States throughout the Cold War period in order to try and achieve their principle aim of preventing the spread of communism. This became more apparent as a power vacuum had emerged in ex-colonies across Asia, the Caribbean and Africa, as the French and British empires declined and they gained their independence. This had led to both sides of the Cold War battlefield looking to extend their ideological influence in these countries. However, while America was attempting to preach democratic values in predominantly, non-white countries, African Americans were being subjugated to racial discrimination and segregation laws back in the United States. This raised the question whether America’s vision of democracy was hypocritical. This official duplicity was used by the African American civil rights movement as a way to develop and advance their cause.
I argue that the Cold War served as a catalyst to advance the African American civil rights movement. Activists were well acquainted with the fact that domestic racism in the United States was a form of international embarrassment and had the potential to undermine the United States’ Cold War aims. This was something that could be used by the movement in order to encourage the U.S government to enact change and end racially biassed laws. This showed the importance of America’s Cold War policies to the advancement of the African American civil rights movement.

Course: History - BA (Hons) - C1087

Date Deposited: 2022-12-08

URI/permalink: https://library.port.ac.uk/dissert/dis14086.html