Historical Moment Essay Septima Poinsette Clark - 954 Words

Historical Moment Essay Assignment: Septima Poinsette Clark Throughout history there have been many individuals that changed the course of social, economic and public systems for people across Canada and the United States. Segregation has been a long standing issue affecting African American individuals. Segregation is â€Å"the institutional separation of an ethnic, racial, religious, or other minority group from the dominant majority.† (Dictionary.com, 2005). The Civil War become the beginning of the end of segregation, the differences of continuing the norm of having slave states or free states over the power of the national government prohibiting slavery in territories that had not yet become states. Following the Civil War, the millions of formerly enslaved African Americans hoped to join the larger society as full and equal citizens. (Smithsonian National Museum of American History, N/A). Throughout history many white Americans have embraced them, however the ignorance, racism and ideas to sustain them have led to the division. The 1900’s embodied the old customs of the North and South, with the additions of new laws which created the segregated society the fated African Americans to status of second-class citizenship. An example of someone who fought to change these ideals was Septima Poinsette Clark, wanting to change the way African Americans had access to the public system by educating illiterate blacks and gaining full cit izenship and right to vote. Septima Poinsette