Civil Rights in the US: Blacks and Segregation

The Civil Rights Movement was an obvious struggle by African Americans in the mid-1950s to late 1960s to achieve civil rights equal to those of whites, including equal opportunity in employment, housing, and education, as well as the right to vote, the right of equal access to public facilities, and the right to be free of racial discrimination (Civil Rights Movement, 2005). According to Civil Rights Movement, 2005, this movement occurred to guarantee African Americans their citizenship and their rights, which were supposed to be protected by the Fourteenth and Fifteenth Amendments. There are many different views and opinions on whether or not racial issues have or have not improved since the Civil Rights Movement. While some things

The Civil Rights Act of 1964 was a landmark legislation that resulted from a unique combination of public pressure, historical events, previous failed legislation, and a large-scale social movement. Many regard the Civil Rights Act of 1964 as the most successful civil rights legislation in history. There is no doubt that the Civil Rights Act of 1964 changed the way the society addressed race and gender, but it in the context of current events resulting in racial tension, it is worth examining the true impact of the legislation and how society can continue to move forward in matters of civil equality. This paper will provide an overview of the historical context of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and examine the legislation’s impact on society

When it comes to court cases, every case that is heard in court is heard for one reason or another.

Before the Civil Rights Act of 1964, segregation in the United States was commonly practiced in many of the Southern and Border States. This segregation while supposed to be separate but equal, was hardly that. Blacks in the South were discriminated against repeatedly while laws did nothing to protect their individual rights. The Civil Rights Act of 1964 ridded the nation of this legal segregation and cleared a path towards equality and integration. The passage of this Act, while forever altering the relationship between blacks and whites, remains as one of history's greatest political battles.

After so many years of struggles and difficulty, supporters for equality celebrate the way of legislation that forbids racial discrimination. The civil rights act of 1964, ending segregation in public places and prohibit employment discrimination on the part of color, race, religion or origin, is considered one of the accomplishments of the civil rights movement. The leading up to the Civil Rights act was followed by the Civil war which occurred during the years 1861-1865. It was constitutional amendments abolished slavery, and made them slave citizens and gave all men the right to vote, no matter what race they were. The presentation within the civil rights act, was under the act, segregation faced race, religion or origin was banned at all

“This Civil Rights Act is a challenge to all of us to go to work in our communities and our states, in our homes and in our hearts, to eliminate the last vestiges of injustice in our beloved country”, this quote from Lyndon B. Johnson truly represents how difficult it was to get to the civil rights act and how hard it was once it was passed. Many cases were apart of this act that played a big role at the U.S. Supreme Court. It wasn't only race that the civil rights act of 1964 ended it also ended segregation in race, color, religion, sex or national origin. The Civil rights act was a big movement effecting so many people: Dred Scott v. Sanford, Plessy v. Furguson, and Brown v. Board of education.

There were many factors to the civil rights act of 1964 from presidents to normal “civilians”. In today’s society the Civil Rights Act is allowing equal opportunities for everyone. The Civil Rights was not just an act it was a movement fought for almost twenty years. Starting in 1948 with Truman’s executive order 9981 that gave equality in the military (infoplease.com, Brunner). Then in 1054 the case of Brown versus Board of Education of Topeka, Kansas, was finalized with the decision that segregation within public schools was wrong. In august of 1955 the tragedy of Emmett Till occurred, where he was brutally murdered. There are many more effects of the Civil Rights act, but these were some of the turning points.

“After the end of Reconstruction in 1877, southern states and local communities began to enact laws known as segregation or "Jim Crow" laws. These measures separated the races in public accommodations. Rather than passing one sweeping law, local and state legislators in the South passed a series of laws between 1881 and 1910 that required separate accommodations for blacks and whites in public spaces. These laws were indicative of the hardening of the philosophy of white supremacy throughout the South during this time.”(Cassanello). The Civil Rights Act of 1964 was the most influential event in the Civil Rights Movement because it paved way for ending discrimination and segregation, and giving more rights to African- Americans. During the Civil Rights Movement African- Americans were fighting to get their rights that were being taken away from them little by little. Starting in 1955 and going well into the late 1960’s early 1970’s, African- Americans started to protest against discriminatory laws and acts such as Jim Crow Laws and various requirements to vote. They did this because they wanted to be treated as equals and not to be judged because of their race(Mayer).

In modern day America, the concept of civil rights is not one that is typically thought about. Little do most people know, civil rights did not officially exist until 1791 nor do they think about the story behind it or what it has to do with the world they find themselves living in. The Bill of Rights is one of the most definitive documents in American history and impacted what is known as basic civil rights due to its influential author, its historical setting, and its ongoing significance with regards to historical and present day events.

Race is invisible to white, because they don’t have to think about it. When white people are in poverty, they never think to consider their skin color as a factor to why they are. Whites are mostly oblivious to this happening in general, because it does not happen to them.

The duration of the Civil Rights movement lasting a little over a decade left a permanent mark in American history. In sum, slavery has been abolished for over a century, but African-Americans continue to be slaves to the nation’s society while being oppressed by the amount of inequality received since the 1800s. Segregation; a word used as an excuse to mistreat, divide and restrict those who were born and reside on this developing nation, of which we call, America has led the economy to believe that it is the norm to drink from divided drinking fountains, and use restrooms assigned for different colors of skin. The reason for that was “Separate but Equal” doctrine, a quick-fix solution used to mask inhumanity between blacks and whites. While not every Black person, Native American or Chinese student feels segregated, it oppresses Americans proving it in supreme court cases like, Plessy v. Ferguson Brown v. Board of Education Lau v. Nichols Shelley v. Kraemer and University of California v. Bakke , focusing on the

After the Civil war in the late mid 1800’s constitutional amendments were made to abolish slavery, give former slaves citizenship and give the right to vote regardless of race. Even though these laws were passed throughout the rest of the 1800’s and 1900’s segregation of race was a major part of the lifestyle of southern states in America. From area that was built on slavery and use a human labor, accepting change wasn’t an easy task for southerners. It wasn’t until 1964 that an actual Civil Rights Act was passed to end segregation of public places and banned discrimination in employment on the basis of race, color, religion or sex. With these laws being passed, the south still decided to live in their own way and continued to oppress blacks. These ways of the south made way for one of our most famous civil rights leaders Martin Luther King Jr.

From the beginning, African Americans were always treated differently from others whether it was equal pay or going to designated place just because of their skin color; the Civil Rights Movement changed all of that to where they are as equal as white Americans. “At that time, there had never been a black presidential cabinet officer or a black Supreme Court Justice” (Kennedy). Because of the Civil Rights Movement, African Americans attained more civil rights and have even become president which is a very impressive accomplishment in terms of race equality. This mere fact is quite stunning since Barack Obama is now the president of The United States and has powerful political authority. Likewise, the Civil Rights Movement has also caused America to have more of an equal point of view when it comes to making political and national decisions. As these decisions are made, America’s wholeness, in most communities, has become more evident and prominent ever so. The country known as the United States has become more nation-widely accepting and

My partner and I stand in affirmative of the following resolution. Resolved:The united states government ought to pay reparations to African Americans. African Americans have had roughly 300 years of legalized oppression. If that doesn’t entitle a group to reparations, I’m not sure what does. This would benefit ALL Americans by providing the environment in which African-American talent can rise to its potential that is why we as Americans have the duty to pay back the African Americans in reparations.

For example, at a time in our country, it was illegal for a person of African decent to read or write. The punishment of this action was death. Because laws cannot stop action, the African American people continued to learn to read and write, BUT they had to do so in secret. The African American person had to risk their life to receive a education which was defined by Horace Man, as the "greatest equalizer of men". These laws were overturned and found unconstitutional. Today we find these laws bizarre but they are a very real party of our history. When the basic rights of people are taken away people still find a way to be in control of their futures.