May has been remembered as a month that has a history of some of the largest turning points in many human events that affect the way we live our lives today. From the end of the bloodiest conflict in human history to the turnaround for civil rights here in America, May is a reminder that humanity as a whole is able to change and become better and stronger.
The first major turning point in human history occurred in early May 1945 when the world would wake up to learn that Nazi Germany had officially surrendered to the Allied powers. Their defeat in the battle at the Reichstag stole all hope away from the Germans of an Axis victory and this loss further pushed the remaining SS to surrender unconditionally three days later after the battle.
On May 8th, Germany signed their official surrender, and their defeat was celebrated all throughout Europe. All the suffering and loss had been worth it, but the war raged on in the Pacific, where the Americans would have to face down Japan ridding the Pacific Islands of their years of tyranny.
As the world was rapidly changing overseas, the domestic affairs in America were starting to look upward for African Americans, who had finally started to make monumental movements in congress. In the case of Brown versus the Board of Education, Congress had to look back on the years of injustice in schools, looking at the segregation of schools, bathrooms to even water fountains and more.
After careful consideration and an astounding case from Mr. Brown, the Supreme Court ruled in favor of Mr. Brown, stating that the segregation of schools was deemed unconstitutional. This case would overturn a previous case just 70 years ago that stated the “Separate, but equal” doctrine, something that had been originally a unanimous decision.
This new law would allow millions of young African Americans to experience equality in school systems, allowing them to pursue higher education and one day achieve great things they previously could not achieve.
Finally, we see that May brought about the end of many evil things, but in the case of the aftermath of World War 2, we see that humanity is able to create new things and places. The state of Israel was established, allowing for many homeless Jewish people to have a place of their own, protected by a soon-to-be-founded NATO. No one would ever be able to step on another country in Europe simply because they had the power or will to.
