Historical Significance of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 In 1964, the United States passed one of its strongest civil rights laws in history, the Civil Rights Act. The act bans discrimination because of a person's color, race, national origin, religion, or sex. It primarily protects the rights of African Americans and other minorities. Major features of the Civil Rights Act include the freedom to vote and use hotels, restaurants, theaters, parks, and all other public places. The law also encouraged the desegregation of public schools and authorized the withdrawal of federal funds from programs practicing discrimination.
Therefore, Linda's father, Oliver Brown, tried to enroll her in the white elementary school, but the principal of the school denied the request. Outraged, Brown went to McKinley Burnett, the head of Topeka's branch of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) and asked for help. The NAACP was eager to assist the Browns, as it had long wanted to challenge segregation in public schools. With some other black parents joining Brown, in 1951, the NAACP requested a ruling that would forbid the segregation of Topeka's public schools. The Case At the trial, the NAACP’s main argument was that segregated schools sent the message to black children that they were inferior to whites;
august 28th 1963----"I Have a Dream" is a public speech delivered by American civil rights activist Martin Luther King Jr. on August 28, 1963, in which he calls for an end to racism in the United States. Delivered to over 250,000 civil rights supporters from the steps of the Lincoln Memorial during the March on Washington, the speech was a defining moment of the American Civil Rights Movement. [1] 19. August 28, 1963.----March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom took place in Washington, D.C., on August 28, 1963. Attended by some 250,000 people, it was the largest demonstration ever seen in the nation's capital, and one of the first to have extensive television coverage.
As nearly 750,000 blacks relocated to northern cities, many sensed the possibility of political power for the first time in their lives. Fortunately, they had an outspoken advocate of civil rights in the White House itself: Eleanor Roosevelt repeatedly antagonized southern Democrats and members of her husband’s administration by her advocacy of civil rights and her participation in integrated social functions. Blacks understood the irony of fighting for a country that denied their equality and they challenged the government to finally live up to its lofty creeds. Roosevelt let stand the policy
Phase #3 IP American Life and Culture in the Post World War II America Submitted by: Lonzo Warren Colorado Technical University HIST125-1201B- 13 Instructor: Fredrick D. Palm March 15, 2012 The Civil Rights Movement of the 1950s and 1960s: In the 1950s America was facing a serious challenge of racism and prejudice. Most of the racial backlash was directed towards the African American populace. Oddly enough the movement of the civil rights was not confined to just one group of people and organization. It made its way to the national forefront on its own merit and it is this merit which kept it on the national spotlight. (www.americanhistory.about.com) Thousands of Americans from all walks of life and races put their lives on the line to take a stand against racial inequalities.
The decision overturned the Plessy v. Ferguson decision of 1896, which allowed state-sponsored segregation, seeing that it is applied to public education. Handed down on May 17, 1954, the Warren Court’s unified decision stated that “separate educational facilities are inherently unequal.” As a result, the jure racial segregation was ruled a violation of the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment of the United States Constitution. This ruling created a way for union and was a large victory of the civil rights movement. List two current court cases relating to this amendment. Do a web search for current court cases.
The Federal District Court upheld the tiebreaker and dismissed the charges because they said that State law did not bar the District’s use of the racial tiebreaker. They said the State’s Civil Rights Act bars only preferential treatment programs where race or gender is used by government to select a less qualified applicant over a more qualified applicant. The Parents appealed and the Circuit Court reversed the decision. The Court found that while achieving racial diversity and avoiding racial isolation are compelling government interests, Seattle’s use of the racial tiebreaker was not narrowly tailored to achieve these interests. The District appealed this decision and the Ninth Circuit Court sat En Banc to hear the case.
What were some of the significant legal victories that dismantled lawful segregation? Some significant legal victories that dismantled lawful segregation were Plessy vs. Ferguson, Brown versus Board of education, and the Twenty-Fourth amendment. Why did the movement succeed? The civil rights movement succeeded because the African Americans were very determined and knew what to do in order for it to succeed. They also had strong leaders and had help from many whites.
Yet again, serious violence developed at the hands of white racists. In response to this, Johnson introduced a further Civil Rights reform. In August 1965, the Voting Rights Act became law, removing all barriers which prevented black Americans from registering as voters. Results The non-violent campaigns of the Civil Rights movement during the 1950s and early to mid-1960s achieved notable successes. With charismatic and intelligent spokesmen such as Martin Luther King, the Civil Rights campaigners had brought the plight of black Americans to the attention of the whole world.
Many court cases pushed to expose discrimination and racism, along with attempts to change unfair laws or prior court rulings. Two key Jewish supporters of the movement’s legal efforts were Shad and Justine Wise Polier. Shad Polier, a prominent American Jewish lawyer, fought in many civil rights cases, most notably the Scottsboro Trial, and worked alongside many members of the NAACP. Similarly, Polier’s wife, Justine Wise Polier (daughter of Reform rabbi Stephen S. Wise), was a major supporter of the civil rights movement, and “firmly believed in the Congress's principles—that ‘... law could and must be used to fight discrimination…’ " (Antler 281). Polier committed himself to working on the defense team for many civil rights cases, including Brown vs. Board of Education, which ended segregation in the public school system according to the Constitution (“Guide to the Shad Polier Papers”).