Sociology | Studies, essays, thesises » How far they gone - An article about Afro-Americans of USA

CONTEMPORARY USA HOW FAR HAVE THEY GONE? FROM THE C.RM TO THE PRESENT DAY Is being Afro-American the same as, let’s say, 50 years ago? Has anything changed in connection with the largest minority in the United States? In this essay of mine I try to cover some aspects of life in which Afro-Americans have achieved or at least neared equality. When we talk about the benefits of the struggle for Civil Rights, we should bear in mind that the Civil Rights Movement starting from the 1950s was not the only effort to achieve human rights for Black Americans. Rather, it goes a long way back in history However, the middle of the twentieth century marks a cornerstone in the row of such efforts. The Effect of WW2 After WW2 affirmative action and desegregation programs began in the country. These programs were not particularly welcome by most of the white citizens of America. Despite the victories achieved by the NAACP Black- Americans still suffered a lot, especially in the southern states.

The Brown vs Board of Education case was of paramount importance in what later happened in the US. In this case the Supreme Courts declared that racial segregational policy, which was until then the usual practice of many schools, is unconstitutional. It has to be noted that schooling is very important in one’s success in life. With the deprival of schooling of BlackAmericans they had little chance to apply for white-collar positions, to take part in politics, in other words, to bring about prominent changes in their living conditions. The brave deed of Rosa Parks in 1955 gave another impetus for the fights for Civil Rights. Until that very year segregation on public transport was a usual practice in different places around the country, after this event the SCLC started the bus boycott. This boycott lead to the ban of segregation on interstate buses and trains by the Federal Interstate Commerce Commission. The middle of the 1950s brought a new hero for Civil Rights, he was

Martin Luther King. King’s preference for peaceful, non-violent approach was a new thing in the United States, it even surprised most of the Segregationist Whites in the country. Public disobedience triggered by King aroused support from many white liberals from the South and the North alike. Inspite of the marchings, fierce speeches delivered by Luther King or the high number of White supporters, changes came slowly and progress seemed too limited. The Civil Rights Act of 1964 brought along the most significant changes in the fight for Civil Rights. Beside it being the most significant act until then, it has also had the most lasting effect. It was also a higly debated Act, as well Southern Congressmen were fighting against it hard. After the Act was born, the EEOC (Equal Employment Opportunity Commission) was established, and it started to fine hundreds of companies with discriminating policies. The 1964 Civil Rights Act included other titles. Among them it bars discrimination in

hotels and restaurants, bans arbitrary discrimination in voter registration while advances voting right suits and prohibits private employers from refusing applicants because of sex, race, colour, religion or nation origin. The lattest one can be called the most significant of all titles of the Act. It was first applied to government employment only, yet later, in fact after much debate, it became an act for private sector employment. Because ”Employers holding contracts with the government must take affirmative action to ensure that they were not discriminating on the basis of race, creed, color or natural origin.” employers who wished to make federal contracts had to implement affirmative actions. Due to affirmative action many White Americans lost their jobs while many Black Americans kept theirs, even if they had less experience. This lack of experience is primaly due to the situation that Black Americans -before the 1964 Civil Rights Act- were denied the opportunity to work.

The Voting Rights Act of 1965 made changes in the situation of the Black community. Before 1965 many Black Americans were denied the chance to register, especially in the South. After the Act was born it was possible for them to register to vote, they were no longer discriminated against. Between 1964 and 1967 riots broke out in Philadelphia, Watts, Los Angeles, Detroit, Newark and New Jersey. These riots made many supporters of King changed their minds It seemed that the peaceful and non-violent approach that Martin Luther King had maintained did not have the right effect, or was effecting too slowly. The following year the first Black-American was named to the Supreme Court. Later that year two Black-Americans, Carl Stokes and Richard G. Hatcher were elected mayors in two major US cities (Cleveland and Gary). In 1968 the assassination of Martin Luther King triggered more violence around the country. The extent of frustration among Black-Americans became more and more visible.

Together with this they started to search for their identities, since they realized that without knowing and understanding their roots they cannot function properly in society. Along with searching for identity there was a growing demand for ’compensation’ for past sufferings; a demand that most White-Americans thought was just. The moving-up of Black-Americans and the effect of strict affirmative action brought along problems. Many White-Americans were losing their jobs because employers- in fear of violating the Civil Right Act of 1964- were in favour of minorities. This finally led to suits claimind Reverse Discrimination. Around 1990 the economy began to decline in the United States and many Civil Rights activists started to think that the efforts they made in the last 20 years were in vain. It was the time of the Bush’s cabinet when- twenty-six years after the first one- a new Civil Rights Act was on its way. With this act it would have been the employers’ duty to prove

that they were not discriminating on the basis of race, colour, etc. Bush did not signed the bill until a slightly modified version was handed in. The end of the twentieth century proved for the Black-Americans that there is no job or position, either in the private sector or in politics, they cannot achieve. Until today the only two positions that they have not been elected yet are President and Vice President. Conclusion Today about 12 percent of the population is black in the United States. This percentage is likely to grow significantly in the near future. By 2050 the percentage of Black-Americans will reach 16 percent. This is the segment of the American society which suffered the most in the past. One hundred years of segregation succeeded two hundred years of slavery The effects of the sufferings are still with the Black-Americans to this very day. A vulnarable segment of society wants changes. The second half of the twentieth century witnessed all the effort

Black-Americans made to achieve equality with the white majority. Their achievement, however, is far from being satisfactoring. In 1991 a Civil Rights Museum opened in Memphis, at the site of King’s assassination. This museum is the living proof that a society cannot forget its heros, nor can it forget its hero’s deeds. References Bode, Carl (ed). 1992 American Perspectives The United States in the Modern Age Forum Reader Series Falk, Rendee. 1993 Spotlight on the USA Oxford University Press Stevenson, K. Douglas 1996 Amerikai civilizáció (Hungarian translation) Ernst Klett Schulbuchverlage GmbH. http://www.cnncom (web site) http://home.earthlinknet (web site)