Civil Rights, Essay Example

During the 1940’s, racial segregation and Jim Crow laws segregated the South. Separate but equal was the law. The Civil Rights Movement was very influential in ensuring that minorities had equal opportunities for jobs and educational opportunities. Although women and people of color are still underrepresented in many businesses, we have still made great progress compared to pass generations of people of color. One of the most beneficial aspects of the Civil Rights Movement happened during the 60s and 70s. The Movement changed the way people felt about people of color. Prior to this, most people had negative connotation about people of color. This Movement brought about awareness about the struggle that African Americans were fighting. Although they had been freed from slavery, they were still slavers to unjust laws. Black children were forced to attend inferior schools with the least qualified teachers. Often their books and resources were outdated by several years. Most often, they received the books from local white schools after they had received new ones. Because of the Civil Rights Movement, African Americans can use facilities wherever they want, work jobs with other ethnicities, and buy homes in any neighborhood they can afford to live in. Blacks had no freedom in choosing where they wanted to live. There were contracts that made it illegal for whites to rent, sell, or even lease homes to black people. These restrictions were placed on both private and real-estate sales. Some laws were passed during this time to help eliminate institutional racism. For example, affirmative action ensured that people of color received equal working opportunities. Also, during this time African Americans were finally seen as intelligent persons capable of greatness. Overall, the Civil Rights Movement transformed a way of living, not just for African Americans, but for Americans in general.