Black Civil Rights Organizations In The Post-Civil Rights Era

In the post-civil rights era,the notion of “post-racial” or “color-blind” society gains momentum,which claims racial equality has been achieved,and thus African Americans' civil rights struggle and pursuit for equality have become irrelevant.However,the figures tell a different story.Vast research and data regarding the status quo of the African American community disclose the chasm between black and their white counterparts in socio-economic status,employment,health care,education,criminal justice,etc.African American community's quest for equality still has a long way to go.In retrospect,black civil rights organizations have been the champion for minority rights and the backbone of African Americans' struggle for equality,having achieved remarkable feat in the civil rights movement through demonstrations,marches,lawsuits,among other tactics.However,these may cease to be the optimal strategy mix today,considering the new realities in the post-civil rights era.The black civil rights organizations are confronted with the post-racial public discourse,conservative political environment,the development of technology and economy,etc.Hence,to maintain the vitality of the organization and promote the cause of racial equality necessitate adaptation and innovation of its approaches and tactics.To map the course of black civil rights organizations in the post-civil rights era,and discuss future strategies and tactics of black civil rights organizations,this paper selects one of the representative organizations,the National Urban League for further study.The National Urban League is the second largest black civil rights organization in the United States,focusing on economic empowerment,equality,and social justice of the urban African-American grass-roots community.Yet because of its relatively moderate approach and stress on economic issues,compared with other black organizations featuring more radical approaches and focusing on legislative and political rights,the NUL receives scant attention from the academic community and media exposure.However,traditional civil rights strategies cease to be the optimal path for the black equality struggle in the post-civil rights era context.Furthermore,some scholars have also suggested black politics and black leaders should not be confined to the racial perspective,but to include the economic dimension as well.Hence,this paper delves into the National Urban League's bottom-up approach,which is urban community-oriented,economic-focus,and aims to promote the quality of life and rights of African-Americans and other marginalized groups.This paper traces the NUL's repositioning and adjustment of strategies at different times to serve the African-American community,and analyzed its contribution in the development of black history and black politics.Some latest projects and agenda of the League are also explored.In addition,from the vantage point of interest groups politics,the thesis also discusses the National Urban League's role in American politics,its strategies and lobbying activities in action,and its relationship with all levels of government.Based on the analysis of the organization,this paper also further discusses the challenges and prospects of black politics and black civil rights organizations in the post-civil rights era.