Addressing President Biden’s first topic, I believe that the two most important legislative successes of the modern Civil Rights Movement were the passing of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965. The Civil Rights Act of 1964 is one of the most critical rights legislations in our country's history. Passing this new law allowed the federal government to withhold funds from public programs that were allowing or practicing segregation. This forced institutions such as schools, and other public or government institutions that receive federal funds to abolish their acts of public segregation. This is the main catalyst of the beginning of integration into southern public schools. Additionally, the passing of the Civil Rights …show more content…
This was the final step in ending segregation in public accommodations; finally, not only were the schools free to the black community but theatres, restaurants, and hotels as well. Due to the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the lives of black Americans and other minority groups were substantially improved. Not only did this law help Black Americans gain the freedom to go to school, eat where they wanted, and so on; but also the Civil Rights Act and EEOC had components that were profoundly influential for the upcoming women's rights movement. Specifically, Title VII of the Civil Rights Act prohibits employment discrimination based on race, color, religion, or sex was the most noteworthy in aiding the fight for women’s rights. The Voting Rights Act of 1965 is, in my opinion, the second most important legislative success during the modern Civil Rights Movement. Up until the passing of this law, American democracy was shattering in the …show more content…
Rachel Carson, an environmentalist wrote about the negative effects of pesticides and DDT in her book, “Silent Spring”. The book became very popular during the war and showcased how DDT was decimating the wildlife population, especially birds. Illustrated through the book, DDT was causing birds’ eggshells to thin which almost led to species such as robin bird and American Bald Eagle almost becoming extinct. Also, the chemical CFC, which was used in refrigerants, hair sprays, etc. was being overused which led to a hole in the ozone layer that protects Earth from harmful radiation caused by the Sun. Another environmental problem occurring during this time was the disregard for what could be dumped into our waterways. This mistreatment caused the Cuyahoga River to catch on fire and the Santa Barbara oil spill, both occurring in the year 1969. At the time, the Santa Barbara oil spill was the largest in our nation’s history. The powerful images of both the Cuyahoga River on fire and the wildlife and environment in California being ravaged because of the deep-water oil spill helped change Americans’ attitudes toward the environment. This sprung the creation of the Modern Environmentalist
This is true with the Plessy v. Ferguson supreme court case in 1896, which ruled the segregation of Black individuals was not unconstitutional. Similarly, in 1898 the Williams v. Mississippi supreme court case decided literacy tests, the poll tax, disenfranchisement clauses, and the grandfather clause were all protected under the Constitution. These legal tools were used to limit African Americans' ability to vote and be politically valued, but the discontent displayed by African American communities would grow and bring about movements to support Black people’s rights. The most significant of the movements, The Civil Rights Movement became “...a major force in Black America with the civil disorders of 1965 through 1968,” (2019: Chapter 7, section 4). The Civil Rights Movement is the most known of these movements because of its success in improving social, political, and economic equality for African American lives.
The Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965 passed Congress partly because of the actions of the Freedom
On May 17th, 1954, the Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) decided that segregation in public schools violated the 14th amendment. Therefore Brown v. Board of Education was the earliest major event to occur in the Civil Rights Movement. As a consequence, the Supreme Court’s historic decision boosted the morale of civil rights activists across the country (especially in the South) and motivated them to do more about racial inequality in America.
From the years of 1954-1968, The United States fought with itself over the morality of one of the darkest examples of social injustices in history: racism. The Civil Rights Act of 1964 was the turning point in segregation and racism in American history, and the catalyst that furthered the push for full equality within the coming years. The act came during a time of continued racial prejudice that had not faltered since the abolishment of slavery. Public segregation was dominating The United States, especially in the South. African Americans had no voting rights, and very few black counterparts served in public offices.
According to an article called “Voting Rights “, “The Voting Rights Act of 1965 is a landmark piece of federal legislation in the United States that prohibits racial discrimination in voting”. The Civil Rights Movement achieved a major goal with the registration of Southern voters, granting African Americans’ political power. As a result, African Americans can influence The United States decisions, which protects
Three months later, President Kennedy sent a civil rights bill to Congress, and it would become the most well known act of legislation supporting racial equality in American history, the method demonstrating significant success in gaining government influence. The law change, however, barely impacted public opinion on the Civil Rights Movement. In source A, it's evident that 58% of Americans were supportive towards the Civil Rights Act of 1964, and although there was a slight improvement in advocation, the difference
Throughout the 1950s and 1960s, the Civil Rights Movement resulted in many reforms that continue to have a lasting impact on the United States today. These reforms were the result of black Americans fighting for equal rights through protests and boycotts, which in some cases cost many their lives. During this era, there were many powerful influences such as Dr. Martin Luther King, Malcolm X, Rosa Parks, President Lyndon B. Johnson, President John F. Kennedy, and others alike who wanted to see change and equality for all in the United States. The following will focus on two reforms, the 1965 Civil Rights Act and the Voting Rights Act, breaking down both their influences and their significance.
It is true that the Civil Rights Act of 1964 was mainly centered on outlawing discrimination based on race, but it also made way for further improvement in women's rights and intersectionality in the workplace actually, Title VII of the Civil Rights Act has been used in court cases to oppose discrimination against women of color, which reveals the intersectional
The Civil Rights Act of 1964 The Civil Rights Act of 1964 was a long, sought-after piece of legislation. The countless hours of tireless work by many people made change possible. Even though it had been 100 years since the Emancipation Proclamation freed blacks from slavery in the United States, they still were not afforded the same rights, freedoms, and privileges of non-black citizens. Individuals, like John F. Kennedy, saw this problem and took action by playing a major role in the creation of the Civil Rights Act.
The Equal Opportunity Act of 1964 was the most progressive act since the reconstruction. Although not intentionally, many blacks were intimidated after winning these new rights. They were intimidated not to go to the workplace, voting, or schools. In all, the law did succeed in it’s plan to integrate and eliminate segregations. It succeeded because it was a law that finally went in favor of the ones fighting for equality.
Moreover, America had its first black President in 2008 (Wolf, 2014). Not only are more African Americans attending school, they are elected to represent the U.S. This was a huge success for America and would have been difficult to do without the Civil RightsAct of 1964. Additionally, the Civil Rights Act of 1964 helped to reimpose African American voting rights (Zunes et al., 2010). This removed any racial discrimination for voters.
This is depicted in the article “Milestones Of The Civil Rights Movement,” when the author included this short excerpt about the Landmark 1964 Act, “...barred discrimination based on race, color, religion, or national origin in public facilities – such as restaurants, theaters, or hotels” (PBS). This allowed minorities, such as African Americans to be able to enter public places that they were not allowed to enter before. To add, The March on Washington in 1963 was very effective in helping African Americans receive equality in the community. It helped spread awareness on many issues and experiences of discrimination that black citizens were facing. Even now in the present day, African Americans are given more equality in public
However, despite the progress that the movement has made, there are still areas where people of African descent are still denied their due. This sector is very important to continue fighting for, as it can still make a huge contribution to equality. The civil rights movement's legacy can still serve as a lasting symbol of the struggle for racial equality. It was dedicated to ending racial segregation in workplaces and schools, as well as discrimination against Native Americans and the LGBTQ community. One of the most significant events that occurred during the civil rights movement is the Voting Rights Act of 1965.
Emerging from the embers of World War II and the postwar economic boom, the nation grappled with the persistent legacy of racial segregation and discrimination, magnified by the landmark Supreme Court decision in Brown v. Board of Education in 1954. This decision, which declared racially segregated public schools unconstitutional, sparked a fervent pursuit of equality that rippled across diverse communities. Concurrently, the Civil Rights Movement gained momentum as African Americans, emboldened by the leadership of figures like Martin Luther King Jr., waged a tireless battle against systemic racism and sought to dismantle the barriers that had long hindered their access to basic rights. The African American struggle for civil rights set the stage for a broader conversation about equality and justice, creating a dynamic environment that influenced the campaigns for women's rights, Latino empowerment, and American Indian sovereignty. The era's charged atmosphere of activism, marked by protests, legal challenges, and shifting social norms, laid the foundation for interconnected movements that collectively reshaped the contours of American
On July 2, 1964, The Civil Rights Act was signed. This ended segregation for good and ensured all citizens had equal rights and protection (“Civil Rights Movement”). The Civil Rights Movement caused significant changes in history and had many important events that kids are still learning about