Did the vietnam war help the civil rights movement?

Question

or was it a burden during the civil rights movement?

Answer 1

The combination of the two galvanized the youth on many levels like nothing before or since.  However unbridled individualism over time brought about an unexpected result: a reactionary new conservatism.

Answer 2

Not a chance, world wide anyway. Because of the spineless anti-war crowd (John Kerry included), millions were slaughtered, and many more millions had to suffer under communism. Civil rights do not exist under any communist/socialist regime. In the U.S., it may have helped a bit because as one answer pointed out, protesters were proud to use their right to protest in public.

Answer 3

Vietnam war encouraged many people to participate in mass protests against it.  Thus, civil rights were widely recognized as legitimate means of people empowerment.

Answer 4

Interesting. Did the Vietnam War help the Civil Rights Movement.  Nobel Peace Prize recipient Dr. Martin Luther King spoke against the Vietnam War.  This placed a permanent scar on the relationship between Dr. King and then President Lyndon Johnson. The tide of the War was no longer popular and the political reasons for the War were exhausted, not to mention the heavy bleeding from our Armed Forces.  

With a high degree of certainty I can say to you that, the Vietnam War was not the main factor impacting the Civil Rights Movement one way or the other. The Civil Rights Movement was the result of a so called Perfect Storm.  In the back drop of the War, you had bombings of Church buildings in the South, arson of un-insured homes because we could not get insurance, lynching and a high rate of unemployment, coupled with the disproportionate use of the law by local authorities that had to be trumped by Federal authorities for the purpose of integration of schools, hospitals and hotels.  

One of the reasons why minorities have always championed a strong Federal Government has been because of the weight of Federal Government's motives on the States, literally forcing them to outlaw segregation.  The U.S. Government threatened to withdraw all Federal dollars from any State University and Hospital if they did not permit "the negro" to attend either institution.  

To your question.  The military was the first to integrate and blacks could get rank and earn a living far better than being a civilian.  The military has always and continues to be light years ahead of social policy and justice.  Today we are asked if America is ready for a Black President.  Colin Powell was Chairman of the Joints Chief of Staff, a Four Star General.  The President is the Civilian leader who is the Constituitonal Commander and Chief. If he had a uniform, it would be the equivalent of a 5 Star General.

Powell has since served as Secretary of State and retired.  To this end, we could fly fighter planes, be in charge of a squadron and reach the highest ranks of the military during the most racially tense years of the Civil Rights Movement.  So yes, the War helped the Civil Rights Movement, precisely our Miitary.