Bruce: American Civil Rights Movement

• What happened to cause the American Civil Rights movement to occur?

  • black Americans in southern US were living under Jim Crow laws
  • denied equal education, voting rights and faced violence
  • movement grew to demand equal rights - led by Martin Luther King Jr and Baptist Minister
• What 3 things did Bruce argue that religion played a central role in helping the CRM?

  • moral legitimation
  • mobilisation
  • acted as an honest broker
• What does Moral legitimation mean?

  religion made the movement seem righteous:

  • christian teaching supported the idea of racial equalities
  • challenged white christians who supported racism
• what does Mobilisation mean?

  black church helped to organise the movements

  • churches were meeting points
  • pastors gave emotional support and kept moral high
• How does Acting as an honest broker help the CRM?

  • king and Church respected from both sides - religious but non-violent
  • negotiate with authorities and avoid being seen as radical
• What were Bruces conclusions on the CRM using g religion to cause social change?

  religion helped CRM succeed because:

  • aligned with mainstream values like equality, freedom and democracy
  • worked through respected institutions and didn't try to overturn the whole system
  • used non-violent methods - hard for opponents to justify violence in return
  • Bruce ' religion was used to defend democracy, not destroy it'