Several factors contributed to the rise of the African-American protests leading to the civil rights movement in the 1950s. A prominent factor in the shaping of the Civil Rights Movement was the legacy of World War II. After the black men and women served in the military or worked in war plants, they developed a broader view of their place in the world than compared to their isolated lives in the 1940s. Another important factor is that the urban black middle class began to grow and flourish after the war. Most of the drive and force for the civil rights movement came from leaders of urban black communities-ministers, educators, professionals, and many black students from universities and colleges. Television, media and other forms of culture were other factors in the rising consciousness of racism in America. This generation was constantly reminded more than any other generation before, of how the white Americans lived and how unequal and unjust the African Americans were treated. Television showed demonstrations on a national level, causing activism in one community to spread to others, and inspire similar protests.
             Another prominent factor in the shaping of the Civil Rights Movement was the arrival of Cold War politics. After the war, the United States was in a difficult situation in regard to the present international concern for civil rights. Foreign delegates from the United Nations were able to witness the degree of racial discrimination present in the United States. This was an embarrassment to Americans, who were trying to present the United States as a model nation to the world. Black Americans began to reach out to the world for help, criticizing the US Government through various forms of articles and public speeches. Black leaders spoke openly about the cruelty and inhumanity in the United States. Comments such as these attracted the attention of many people across the world, ultimately ruining the United States' foreign...