Civil Rights, Research Paper Example

Introduction

There are numerous human rights. Among is a civil right. Civil right is a right that enables a person to be treated equally regardless of the differences in gender, race, and religion. Brown (1968) on the other hand defines civil rights movement as a mass popular movement aimed at securing African American similar access to and chances for fundamental rights and privileges of American citizenship. Civil right is an enforceable privilege or right, which suppose interfered with causes an action for injury (Hutchinson 15). Examples of civil rights entail freedom of assembly, press, speech, the right to vote and the right to be considered equal in public places. Suppose the civil rights of a person is interfered with or denied, then discrimination occurs. Statutes have been enacted to minimize discrimination based on one’s religion, sex, age, physical limitations, national origin and former condition of servitude. In this regard, various civil Rights Movements have been formed. The paper therefore explores the goals of civil rights Movements in America, civil right legislation, political impact of civil rights and affirmative actions.

The Goals of the Civil Rights Movement

The African-American Civil Rights Movement existed amid 1955 and 1968. It refers to the movement in US targeted at eliminating discrimination based or race against African Americans. It was also aimed at reinstating suffrage in south states of US. The other objectives included racial dignity, political self-sufficiency and economic, and freedom from oppression by Whites. In other words, Civil Right Movements was formed to end the racial discrimination and segregation is South America (Hutchinson 16). Africans (slaves by then) had top fight for freedom from enslavement, living right, poses job and land, have similar justice, quality education as whites, to escape from oppression, and an end to stereotyping. Blacks were tired of harsh treatment by their by then masters (whites) and so the formation of the civil rights movement. They were treated like slaves or inferior beings and so they struggled to end this. Civil Rights movement supporters targeted at fairness and equality in America (Brown 40).

Pieces of Landmark Civil Rights Legislation

There were several civil Rights legislations that were passed to provide inclusion for African-American. Fair housing, Americans with Disabilities (1990) and Executive order 13166 among many more are some of the Civil Rights legislations. Fair Housing was to prevent discrimination in terms of color, religion, race, sex, national origin, familial status among others when providing housing services (Borkin 11). The legislations made it unlawful to represent any person due to color, race, religion, sex, familial status, handicap, or national origin that any house/dwelling isn’t available for sale, inspection, or rent when in real it is. This ensured that both Americans and African had equal opportunities. Americans with Disabilities (1990) was to establish plain and complete discrimination prohibition on disability basis. All the people had to have similar access to employments opportunities, public accommodations, transport, voting, education and the likes regardless of his/her physical status (Hutchinson 19). Executive order was to ensure that no one is discriminated against language used. The order clearly stated that all people are created equal and should be considered so. Human treatments should be uniform regardless of the language one speaks, whether German, English, Swahili, Spanish, all are of similar value.

Impacts of Civil Rights

Civil rights movement brought a lot of impacts to America politics such as voting patterns, elections among other issues. The blacks who were not allowed to cast their votes were allowed (Hutchinson 16). The American politic changed and political parties began to be formed. Africans Americans had not only got freedom to express themselves but to lead as well. The civil rights movement however brought political turbulence in America at that time. Some of the leaders were fighting against and some for. Americans had perceived slavery in various forms and so had various views. It has enabled a number of civil Right statutes eliminating discrimination in educational programs as well (Borkin 21). Discrimination based on education was eliminated by the emergence of civil rights movement. Many barriers that did not enable Africans to be regarded as similar as whites were broken as a result. As a consequence, many African American students resulted. Though discrimination against color, and origin did not terminate but reduced. All people were once considered of equal significance and contribution to American economy (Tucker 10).

Affirmative Action

Affirmative actions refer to the positive steps taken to increase minorities and women representation in education, business and employment. Affirmative action was aimed at representing people equally in all life aspects and avoiding discrimination on basis of wealth and position and hence equal opportunity promoted (Hutchinson 17). Affirmative action is often instituted in educational and government settings to make sure that minority groups in a community are not excluded in any program. Its justification is to compensate for past discrimination, exploitation or persecution by ruling of culture. It is also aimed at addressing present discrimination (Brown 44).

Equality of Opportunity and Opportunity of Results

Equality of opportunity can be defined as political ideal opposed to class hierarchy but never hierarchy for itself. The assumption is that community contains hierarchy consisting of less or more desirable and superior positions. In other definitions, equality of opportunity means that each individual is afforded similar benefit access. On the other hand, equality of results means that each person get similar benefit as any other person. Equality of outcomes is better than equality of opportunity. When equality of opportunity is employed, in the end, some people end up without a share while in equality of outcomes, every person regardless of the status, and financial condition receives equal share (Tucker 09). Equality of opportunity simply uses survival for the fittest notion while equality of outcome considers that all people are equal and so equality in share (Borkin 18).

Groups That Have Fought for Civil Rights in America

Among the groups that fought for Civil rights is Malcon X.  Its objective was to end discrimination against African Americans. Malcon X apart from helping in law improvements, it also made Americans view how the laws were consistently ignored. For example, in many cases, Malcon X reminded the nation of the existence of laws that were prohibiting raping, killing and lynching (Brown 45).  Among the groups are some individual like Martin Luther King who fought for civil Right. Martin Luther Kings still stands out to be the known person in civil Rights fighting. The efforts are highly appreciated by numerous scholars and laymen. He had been touched by how the Americans were treating Africans. They were considered slaves. In the end, Luther was assassinated due to his reaction (Tucker 05).

Work Cited

Borkin. Times of Martin Luther King:  New York:  Free Press, 1978, pp 11-22.

Brown.  Civil Rights and World War II:  Princeton University Press, 1968, pp 33-44.

Hutchinson. Weapons of mass destruction:  London:  Weidenfeld & Nicolson, 2003, pp 07-14

Tucker.  World War II and its consequences:  New York:  Pantheon Books, 2006, pp 04-09.