Impact of the Civil Rights Movement - 1208 Words | writing example (2023)

introduction

More than five decades have passed since the monumental events of the Basin Civil Rights Movement (CRM) in the United States in the 1950s and 1960s. This period was marked by events that challenged racial prejudice against African-Americans before and after the beginning of the 20th century. Black Americans agitated against the inequality, repressive laws, and racial segregation that reigned in the United States.

Martin Luther King and other figures organized mass protests and made big speeches calling for equal access to basic rights and privileges for African Americans. These events culminated in constitutional and legislative changes that guarantee equal rights and access to privileges for all Americans, regardless of color or race. While equal rights for all were campaigned for during the civil rights movement, its impact on the American black community remains a matter of debate.

The influence of the civil rights movement

African Americans were at the center of the civil rights movements in the United States. Their fight for their rights culminated in legislation that gave them social, economic, and political equality in American society. The struggle for political rights was one of the most critical platforms for the mass movement in the 1950s and 1960s (D'Angelo 533).

In the 1870s, American constitutional amendments gave all Americans the right to vote, regardless of gender, color, or race. This change did not ensure that minority groups could vote, as many states, particularly in the South, used various techniques to prevent black Americans from exercising their political and constitutional rights.

Freedom of choice for all Americans became a central part of the civil rights movement, and one of its accomplishments was legislation, culminating in the passage of the Voting Rights Act of 1965. It outlawed discrimination based on race , color and language. The law and its subsequent amendments also provide for other jurisdictions that protect the political and voting rights of minority groups in the United States (D'Angelo 537).

The most important impact of the Voting Rights Act of 1965, which was a product of the modern civil rights movement, is the reduction of obstacles black Americans have encountered in exercising their constitutional right to vote. His first achievement was that black Americans had the opportunity to register as voters in the country. Second, black Americans freely participated in the elections. The number of registered black American voters has increased over the years.

In addition, the Voting Rights Act encouraged the political participation of black Americans. The number of black candidates competing for political seats in the country has increased significantly over the years. The number of African American representatives in cities and towns across the country has also grown.

The unprecedented election of President Barrack Obama as the first black American to the Oval Office in 2008 and his re-election in 2012 underscores the impact and importance of the civil rights movements on African Americans. It is important to note that black representation and political participation has increased significantly since 1965, when the Voting Rights Acts were enacted.

Education was also a major issue at the heart of the civil rights movements in the United States (D'Angelo 225). African Americans used the civil rights movement to fight for the right to decent and equal access to education. Before and after the founding of the civil rights movement, there was widespread educational segregation on racial grounds (D'Angelo 225). There were only black and white learning institutions.

African Americans were denied access to certain schools. White schools had better facilities and could only accept students of European descent. At the same time, black tutors could not enter white institutions. Black students were also not allowed to share buses with white students.

The landmark Supreme Court ruling in Brown v. Board of Education" outlawed segregation in education (D'Angelo 230). This ruling set the precedent for removing barriers that prevented African Americans from receiving the same educational rights as whites.

The court ruling allowed black Americans access to public schools. In addition, it helped African-Americans gain access to educational institutions with good facilities and access to higher universities that were previously barred to them.

However, it is important to recognize that this has had a limited impact on the educational segregation of African Americans (Rothstein 2). Segregation towards African Americans still exists in various forms today because it is still deeply embedded in the educational fabric of the country. Most of the schools that African-American students attend today are still economically and socially isolated.

This denies children of African-American families access to quality education compared to economically stronger whites. In addition, socioeconomic hardships such as inadequate housing, unemployment, and discriminatory criminal justice systems limit educational opportunities for children and youth (Rothstein 2).

Finally, the racial imbalances that existed between the different districts due to factors of the educational system contributed to the persistent racial segregation in the sector (Rothstein para. 3).

One of the most successful features of the civil rights movement was the demand for economic justice (Wright, paragraph 3). It is important to note that the movement was based on demands for the right of black Americans to economic equality.

Africans have been systematically denied decent jobs (Wright, paragraph 4). They were also denied access to highly paid, skilled jobs. Boycotted by business organizations that for several years refused to employ blacks in the South, a federal law was enacted in 1964 prohibiting discrimination in the workplace.

After the federal law went into effect, in 1970 more black workers were employed in the South. The number of employed blacks increased tremendously after the 1970s. However, it is important to note that the black population has also increased significantly since then. According to Austin (3), the proportion of unemployed blacks in the United States is twice that of whites (Austin 3).

Mishel (13) notes that the unemployment rate among black Americans graduating from high school was 8 percent, compared to 4.5 percent for whites (Mishel 13). Also, blacks still receive low wages compared to whites. This is confirmed by the extension of the minimum wage to predominantly black occupations (Rothstein 2). Employment opportunities for blacks have been restricted over the years.

Diploma

The civil rights movement of the 1950s and 1960s had a profound impact on the history of American society. It culminated in landmark legislation guaranteeing equal rights and privileges for race and color. Its impact on black Americans is still debated today. Although blacks today enjoy various rights and freedoms, the impact of the movement was limited.

Political representation can only be seen in those areas where the movement has had significant influence within the country now ruled by the first African-American president. Currently, most people of color enjoy voting rights and representation in state governments. However, economically they have earned less as the unemployment rate within the black community is significantly high.

Works Cited

Austin, Algernon. „The Unfinished March: An Overview“.Economic Policy Institute Report 2013, 2013. Web.

D'Angelo, Raymond N.The American civil rights movement: readings and interpretations.Guilford, CT: McGraw-Hill/Dushkin, 2001. Drucken.

Mishel, Lawrence, Josh Bivens, Elise Gould y Heidi Shierholz.The state of work in America. 12^heedition. Ithaca, New York: A Book of the Economic Policy Institute, 2012. Print.

Rothstein, Ricardo. „For public schools, segregation then, segregation from“.Economic Policy Institute, 2013. Web.

Wright, Gavin. "The Staggering Economic Impact of the Civil Rights Movement".bloomberg,2013. Internet.