The Civil Rights Act And Voting Rights - 1665 Words

Growing up in America, children are taught by their grade school teachers to be proud of being American. They chant â€Å"Christopher Columbus sailed the ocean blue in 1492† and harmoniously sing patriotic songs such as The Star Spangled Banner while being utterly oblivious of America’s corrupt political system. It may not be until one is pursing their final years of high school, or perhaps even in college when they are aware of America’s history of possessing a highly restrictive political system. For minorities, America is not the land of the free. It is the land of oppression to progression, yet we still wear our scars and our heads up high. Struggles to expand the breadth of political and civil rights in the United States have been critical to fostering greater inclusion and equality for racial/ethnic minorities in America. Various reforms such as the Civil Rights Act and Voting Rights Acts were implemented during the civil rights era as they helped promote g reater inclusion and equity to, but not limited to, African Americans and Mexican-Americans. To be freed, does not always mean you are free. President Abraham Lincoln, the man known to have freed all slaves with the Emancipation Proclamation on January 1, 1863, pushed to build the Union back together. As the south lost in the Civil War, the Thirteenth Amendment was ratified in 1865 as it prohibited slavery throughout the United States. In order to eliminate the oppressive Confederate forces, residing in the south, fromShow MoreRelatedEssay on Relevancy of the Voting Rights Act in Modern Times1730 Words   |  7 Pagesthe Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, Alabama, President Lynden Johnson decided it was time to create some legislation to prevent incidences such as this from happening in the future. The Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965 have been hailed as some of â€Å"the most far-reaching bills on civil rights in modern times† (Schmidt et. al. 2010, 98 ). At that time in history, they were exactly what the country needed to stop itself from the discriminatory practices that were so wide spreadRead MoreThe Fight to Vote Essay1312 Words   |  6 Pageshave the right to vote. In many states, they could only vote if their state allowed them the privilege. The dedicated men and women fought for their right to vote in the Civil Rights Movement in the early and mid 1900s. Congress passed the Fifteenth Amendment and the Voting Rights Act to give African Americans the rights to vote. It would have not occurred if the Civil Rights Movement had not taken place. The Nineteenth Amendment would not have occurred either if not for the Civil Rights MovementRead MoreThe Beginning Of World War II And The Present Decade1527 Words   |  7 PagesUnited States underwent significant reform through key legislative acts, which addressed race relations, poverty, and gender. Explain these different categories of reform, their early proponents, their evol ution into legislation, and whether or not this legislation truly addressed the issues. There have been several historically substantial legislative acts passed after World War II. The most significant acts of these were acts that were aimed at three main objectives; to eliminate racial discriminationRead MoreMarch on Washington and Selma Compare and Contrasts1110 Words   |  5 Pagesevents during those 100 years. Great progress was made during that time for the Civil Rights of all Americans. The two marches demonstrations involving large groups of people: a March on Washington D.C. and a March from Selma to Montgomery Alabama to gain color equality in the south. There are differences and similarities to consider. In many ways, the March on Washington was one of the most important parts of the civil rights movement. The focus of this march was to gain equality for Blacks in the SouthRead MoreThe Voting Rights Act of 1965 Essays1217 Words   |  5 Pagesbe caused by pieces of paper. The Voting Rights Act of 1965 was a law passed that primarily gave African Americans the right to vote without having to take any sort of literacy tests. African Americans were widely ignored in voting rights because they were forced to take literacy tests to be eligible to vote. Having this event in our nation’s civil rights movement was a landmark that allowed the other half of our nation’s voice to be heard. â€Å"The Voting Rights Act itself has been called the singleRead MoreThe African American Civil Right Movement1040 Words   |  5 PagesThe African American Civil right movement in the late 1950’s and throughout the 1960’s was a powerful fight for equal opportunities to the basic rights and privileges outlined by the US government. During this movement thousands of African American individuals and those who believed in the power of the movement, battled against the piercing white supremacy through various tactics including grass root movements. The grass root movements in the 60’s was characterized by organizations of in dividualsRead MoreThe Social Problem Of Voting Rights1668 Words   |  7 PagesThe social problem: What is the social problem you will examine? The research will examine voting rights in relation to voting right inequalities and the society’s effort to have an all minority groups included in the civic process. The research will look into several historical factors that contributed to voting rights inequalities and how the society has evolved to solve issues related to the right to vote. History of problem and policy: when did the problem first emerge historically? What historicalRead MoreThe Civil Rights Movement During The 20th Century1422 Words   |  6 PagesAfrican- Americans fought for the right to vote and went into great strengths to receive the equal power as a white American. The Civil Rights Movement was the starting point for many African-Americans to gain there full rights in the United States. The Civil Rights movement was the challenge to segregation that caused laws that separated blacks and whites. With this movement not only was the goal achieved to end racial segregation in the United States, but the Voting Rights of 1965 was modified to helpRead More15th Amendment Dbq Essay1392 Words   |  6 PagesAn act that was made to help create more fairness in the voting system was the 15th Amendment. â€Å"The 15th Amendment was the last of the â€Å"Reconstruction Amendments to be adopted. It was designed to prohibit discrimination against voters on t he basis of race or previous condition of servitude. Previously, the states had had full responsibility for determining voter qualifications. Reasons for supporting the amendment are not immediately evident, but they went far beyond an idealistic desire to spreadRead MoreThe Voting Rights Act Of 1965947 Words   |  4 PagesThe Supreme Court rulings led to a number of acts which helped the civil rights movement attain its goals. The first example is the Voting Rights Act of 1965. On January 23rd, 1964, the 24th amendment stopped the poll tax, which initially had been introduced in eleven southern states after reconstruction to make it difficult for poor blacks to vote. On August 10th, 1965, Congress passed the Voting Rights Act, making it easier for Southern blacks to register to vote. Anything that could limit the