Freedom summer was a summer of fighting and changes. Freedom Summer was when the people fought for their right to vote, not matter what race they were. It was a highly publicized fight against the government.

During the summer of 1964, student from all over, and of all races, came down to Mississippi to fight for the right to vote for Black people. The government used methods to keep Blacks from voting like poll taxes, literacy tests, beatings, and lynchings. The Civil Rights leaders started to pay more attention to getting Blacks the right to vote because if Blacks could vote they could change the government officials to people who actually cared and would give them their rights. But the thing was that the Whites also saw thios dilemma.

Because of that dilemma the White Supremists had to knock down the people that were trying to recruit more people. They would bomb or burn down churchs, buildings, and homes of volunteers and leaders. The one act that, from the whites point of view, was supposed to scare the blacks away ended up doing the exact opposite. The Murders of James Chaney [black], Andrew Goodman [white], and Micheal Schwerner [white] made a history and although they died they ended up actually helping the cause of the Civil Rights Movement. Goodman and Schwerner were killed by single gunshots to the chest, and Chaney was killed by severe beatings. This brought alot of attention to the Civil Rights Movement and in turn helped them to get what they were figthing for.

Because of all the publicity and help, the 1965 Voting Act was passed, giving all the right to vote, no matter about race and without those tests, taxes or intimidation.

John F. Kennedy was one of the few kind whites with power. Kennedy fought to help the blacks get what they were fighting for.

Kennedy was the president of the U.S. when the Civil Rights Movement was in effect. He knew what the Blacks were fighting for was true and so he helped them achieve it. When the Rock Nine went to school for the first time as students with whites, he sent guards to keep them safe. When the protesters rode the bus together, whites and blacks, he told them that he would have guards waiting for them. He believed in what they were fighting for and made sure that while he was president he helped them in anyway he could. Although he was a good president and fought for Civil Rights for blacks, he still met a horrible fate when he was assassinated.

With all the fighting that went on between the blacks and the white over the rights of the black people, in the end it all was worth it. Here is a list of all that was accomplished because of the Civil Rights Movements:

• Thurgood Marshall became first Black Justice in the Supreme Court.
• Little Rock Nine integrated the first High School
• James Meredith was the first Black student to enroll at the University of Mississippi
• The 24th Amendment abolishes the poll tax that kept blacks from voting
• President Johnson signed the Civil Rights Act of 1964
• Congress passed the Voting Rights Act of 1965
• President Johnson signed the Civil Rights Act of 1968
• Integration of busing
• President Bush signs the Civil Rights Act of 1991