Civil Rights Movement Through Moyer's MAP Model Explained
This paper examines the development of the American civil rights movement from the early 1950s through the turn of the millennium using William Moyer's Movement Action Plan (MAP) as an analytical framework. The paper traces how the movement progressed through each of MAP's eight stages — from the initial "normal times" phase and early awareness-building to public protest, legislative victories, setbacks during the Vietnam War era, and eventual consolidation. Key historical milestones discussed include Brown v. Board of Education, the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Voting Rights Act of 1965, and landmark gains for African Americans in the 1980s and 1990s. The analysis argues that MAP provides a coherent lens for understanding the movement's trajectory.
- Introduction: Historical context and thesis statement
- The Movement Action Plan Model: Overview of MAP's eight stages
- Early Stages: Awareness and the 1950s: Movement's first two stages in the 1950s
- Public Protests and Legislative Milestones: 1960s–1970s: Protests, legislation, and Vietnam War setbacks
- Winning the Majority and Achieving Alternatives: 1970s–2000s: Later MAP stages and consolidation of gains
- Conclusion: Summary of MAP progression across movement history
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What makes this paper effective
- Applies a named theoretical framework (Moyer's MAP) systematically to historical events, giving the analysis a clear organizational spine throughout.
- Grounds abstract model stages in concrete historical milestones — court rulings, legislation, and individual activists — making the argument easy to follow.
- Maintains a consistent chronological structure that mirrors the eight-stage model, allowing the reader to track the movement's progression intuitively.
Key academic technique demonstrated
The paper demonstrates framework application — the practice of mapping real-world events onto an established theoretical model to produce structured, evidence-supported analysis. Rather than narrating history in isolation, the author uses each MAP stage as a lens that explains why specific events occurred when they did and what role they played in the movement's overall development. This technique is common in social science writing and is particularly effective here because the chronological structure of MAP aligns naturally with the chronological unfolding of civil rights history.
Structure breakdown
The paper opens with a broad historical introduction establishing context, then introduces the MAP model and its eight stages. Subsequent body paragraphs move chronologically — covering the 1950s, the 1960s–70s, and the 1980s through the millennium — with each paragraph explicitly linking historical events to a corresponding MAP stage. A brief conclusion synthesizes the overall argument. The Works Cited section follows MLA format with two sources.
Introduction
The civil rights movement in the United States has a long history that dates back to the 18th century, rooted in issues associated with slavery and other systemic injustices. Despite the movement's existence over a long period, it gained considerable attention in the 19th century largely because of racial discrimination and equality issues that had become prevalent across the country. Among the other issues that fueled its re-emergence and development were voting rights, hate crimes, and racial profiling. In essence, the major factor contributing to the rise and growth of the civil rights movement was the struggle African Americans experienced in attempting to achieve meaningful equality by ending racial discrimination. The development of the civil rights movement from the early 1950s over the next five decades can be examined through the lens of William Moyer's Movement Action Plan (MAP) model.
The Movement Action Plan Model
The civil rights movement has been characterized by numerous efforts by African Americans to achieve greater equality through fighting and ending racial prejudice. The Movement Action Plan (MAP) is a strategic model developed by Moyer for the creation of successful and effective nonviolent social movements. In order for social movements to succeed, the model comprises eight distinctive stages that are crucial for their development and growth. As a result, MAP serves as a tool that can help create a better understanding of a social movement's progression — including the development of the civil rights movement (Andrew, par. 1).
Early Stages: Awareness and the 1950s
Based on this model, the civil rights movement in the early 1950s was in the first two stages of successful social movement development. The first stage in the Movement Action Plan is known as "normal times" or "business as usual," since very few individuals care about the issue at hand. The second stage is characterized by the failure of established systems and processes. During the first stage, the objective of a forming social movement is to create awareness, encouraging people to think about the issue and spread the word. The second stage is where small groups begin to recognize the need for change through a clearer understanding of the failures of existing systems and channels.
In the early 1950s, the civil rights movement was in these initial stages of struggle, characterized by the development of narratives regarding racial discrimination against African Americans. Leaders of the movement began spreading awareness of racial prejudice in 1954. The plight of African Americans during this period became starkly evident in the Supreme Court's ruling in Brown v. Board of Education. The case not only highlighted the prevalence of racial discrimination but also exposed the treatment of African Americans by white society. This ruling acted as a breeding ground for the movement, as small groups of the affected population began to recognize their circumstances and spread the word.
Conclusion
The civil rights movement has a long history that can be traced back to the 18th century and be explained using Moyer's Movement Action Plan model. As demonstrated in this analysis, the movement developed and progressed through each of the stages characteristic of a successful social movement. In essence, the growth and development of the civil rights movement has largely been shaped by its advancement through these stages, providing a coherent framework for understanding one of the most important social struggles in American history.
Works Cited
Andrew. "The Movement Action Plan." War Resisters' International. War Resisters' International, 7 Aug. 2014. Web. 4 Dec. 2015.
Hall, Jacquelyn D. "The Long Civil Rights Movement and the Political Uses of the Past." The Journal of American History (2005): 1233–263. Print.
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