Civil Rights vs Social Justice

When I was young, we worked for civil rights. Today people work for social justice. Superficially, only the names have changed, because civil rights and social justice are both about treating people fairly. But if you think word choices matter — which the social justice community does vehemently — these changes are significant.

1. Civil rights workers defined their causes by what they supported: equality, integration, peace. Social justice activists define their causes by what they oppose: anti-racism, anti-war, anti-capitalism, etc.

2. Civil rights workers spoke of humanity as brothers and sisters. Social justice activists divide humanity into groups based on physical or ethnic identity and their “allies”.

3. Civil rights workers had goals that could be legally accomplished. Social justice activists bristle when asked what specific measures they support.

4. Civil rights workers worked, so they focused on solutions — to use a popular phrase of the time, they kept their eyes on the prize. Social justice activists are active, so they focus on problems.

Two examples of the inclusive language of the civil rights movement:

“The marvelous new militancy which has engulfed the Negro community must not lead us to a distrust of all white people, for many of our white…