The 1950s was a pivotal era in the history of America as various issues intertwined, giving rise to the popular activism of the period. Among these issues were Civil Rights activism and the Vietnam War, which created various protests and movements. The era also witnessed economic property fueled by the growth in manufacturing and the abundance of luxury goods, prompting an “affluent society.” This reflective paper aims to analyze how the prosperity of the 1950s prompted the growth of the civil rights movement and anti-war sentiments as Americans started to question the status quo and challenge social injustices and foreign policy.

The prosperity of the 1950s created awareness of the issues of racial disparities and inequalities in society, which contributed to the civil rights movement. It opened the eyes of marginalized groups like African Americans to the inequalities and oppressions they were subjected to by White supremacists. For example, King asserts, “we have known humiliation, we have known abusive language, we have been plunged into the abyss of oppression” (Zinn 443). Notably, the beneficiaries of the affluent society were White Americans who amassed vast amounts of wealth, while groups like African Americans were left in poverty (Truman 2). Zinn affirms that “the distribution of wealth was unequal” (Zinn 433). While the prosperity was enhancing economic growth, it also highlighted the inequalities rampant in America, given that the prosperity was not uniform, especially in wealth distribution. These inequalities also included access to education. African Americans and other activists started to realize that “separation of schoolchildren generates a feeling of inferiority that may affect their hearts and minds in a way unlikely ever to be undone” (Zinn 441). This awareness created a feeling of self-determination when it comes to civil rights. Activists like Rosa Parks became aware of their civil rights, which led to bus boycotts and sit-ins (Zinn 442). Fundamentally, the prosperity created awareness of societal inequalities like racial discrimination and segregation against Black Americans. Ergo, marginalized groups started to question the status quo and stand up against social injustices, contributing to civil rights activism.

Besides creating awareness, the 1950s prosperity also increased global interconnectedness, which created anti-war sentiments. Basically, the economic growth of the time created global awareness in terms of connectivity. As a result of the economic boom in the aforementioned era, media coverage, and international communication, particularly on the issue of the Vietnam War, advanced. That being so, the casualties of the war, as well as atrocities committed by American soldiers, were widely covered. For example, “there were photos taken of the killings by an army photographer, Ronald Haeberle. Seymour Hersh, then working for an antiwar news agency in Southeast Asia called Dispatch News Service, wrote about” (Zinn 470). This media coverage includes the infamous My Lai massacre, which was published internationally in countries including France. As the atrocities of the war and its effects became globally known, people started to rise and question the government’s stance on foreign policy, prompting anti-war sentiments. At the same time, the economic prosperity gave people the opportunity to speak out their opposition to the Vietnam War and challenge foreign policies that were unfair. It is through these media coverages that anti-Vietnam War sentiments surged and spread around the globe. Most importantly, through media, activists like Martin Luther linked to war and poverty, which further heightened anti-war sentiments. Luther notes, “we are spending all of this money for death and destruction, and not nearly enough money for life and constructive development. When the guns of war become a national obsession, social needs inevitably suffer” (Zinn 453). The fact that these leaders linked the Vietnam War and the struggle against poverty, particularly among marginalized communities, prompted anti-war sentiments.

To sum up, it is clear that the 1950s prosperity created awareness of societal oppression and inequalities, which culminated in the popular civil rights movement. The developed awareness made people aware of racial inequalities and the need to fight for their rights. Besides, prosperity pointed out the racial inequality in wealth distribution as White Americans became rich while minorities remained poor. It was through this awareness that African Americans started to fight for their rights. On the other hand, the prosperity also enhanced global interconnectedness in terms of media coverage, which aired the atrocities of the Vietnam War. As these atrocities were widely shared among the public globally, people started to question America’s foreign policy, which heightened anti-war sentiments. Besides, activists like Martin Luther connected the war with poverty, which further attracted anti-war sentiments.