The Civil Rights Act of 1964 - Research Paper Example

?The Civil Rights Act of 1964 Introduction The Civil Rights Act of 1964 is historically significant because it encompasses the rights and privileges of every individual in every field in the United States. It may not have been fully successful in its stated goal of abolishing discrimination, but it had opened new doors to lessen or slowly eradicate discrimination in the United States. It had opened a new perspective and a new light for every individual to live at peace with their differences in gender, race, religious beliefs, culture and color. The policy plays a vital role in the transitional phase of the country’s accepting ethnic and cultural diversity of its residents. Even in the process of passing the Act many opposed it, but at the end of the day, it succeeded and brought with it a new perspective to Americans. It played a vital role in the aspect of racial, gender and religious discrimination in the different sectors. It is essential to look back on how the policy was established in order to assess the usefulness and the importance of the policy today. Background of the Issue During the early years in the 1960s, there was evidently unequal treatment of and opportunities for Blacks and Whites who resided in America. There was an invisible line that prevented the Blacks from securing any governmental position. They have even experienced discrimination within public and private establishments. In relation to this, during the 1960s, Birmingham, Alabama was considered as the most racist place in the U.S. Many of the discriminatory acts against African Americans were done within the limits of the state. In May 2, 1963, a march against the racist state was held by more than a thousand of African-American children. The protest was aired over national television and Kennedy, along with the world, witnessed how the protest was stopped by the police. The police used dogs against the children as they knocked the children out with sprays (Vox). It became a window for Kennedy to understand how racism and discrimination could lead people to hurt and even try to kill children. With this on hand, on June 6, 1963, President John F. Kennedy announced on national television that he was urging people to take part in the equal treatment of every individual of different races. After his plea, Kennedy suggested that the Congress should implement a law that would cater to every individual. The law suggested was to address racial discrimination, the voting rights, the right to education and the right of every individual for federal assistance. However, Kennedy was assassinated on November 22, 1963 which could have caused a delay in the passing of the Act. Nonetheless, the assassination of Kennedy did not deter the implementation of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. As the vice president, Lyndon Johnson became the president. He signed it into law on the same day it was approved by the House. It took only a few months prior to the signing of the act into a law in July of 1964 (“Civil Rights Act”). The passing of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 did not immediately end discrimination and inequality among the other races who resided in America. However, there were profound changes that led to the enhancement of the rights of Asians, Blacks, Latinos and women. Prior to the passing of the Act, there was a local and state law on color segregation, which allowed business owners and local government agencies not accommodate Asians, Blacks, Latinos and other races. However, the Act’s greatest achievement was the ending of this segregation and in return, allowed other races to sue public and private establishments that discriminated or violated their rights. Furthermore, equal employment was also established, which did not allow discrimination in race, color, religion, sex, or national origin in the workplace, during the hiring process, promotion and dismissal of employees. During this time, employment and incomes of Asians, Blacks, Latinos and women rose along with the median income of the families (Hartford; “Teaching with Documents”). In terms of the voting rights, almost three hundred thousand Black voters were registered. In 1965, Mississippi had almost 76% of the total Black voters in the United States, which was considered as a great leap of change in the nation. For this reason, as many as 7,200 Black Americans were seated in the government offices (“The Prize”). Implementation of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 The flight to passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 was not easy, almost all of the Southerners, during that time, took the effort to stop the passage of the Act. During the senate debate, three groups were formed on the senate floor. These were the Republicans, the Democrats who were pro-civil rights and the Democrats who were against it. The opposing group was formed by the Southerners led by Senator Richard Russell, who were known as the southern bloc. The minority group mostly used the filibuster in order to delay the passage of the bill. Along with the delays, the southern bloc also hoped for support from other opposing groups all throughout the country. The opposition of the southern bloc was due to their fear of being ousted in their seats when their fellow Southerners would learn that they approved the bill. However, the pro-civil rights group, led by Senator Hubert H. Humphrey, was prepared against the filibusters of the southern bloc and prepared for a cloture. He invited as many senators as he could for the preparation of a quorum. The filibusters lasted for 52 days and almost all senators gave their speeches for two to eight hours. Nonetheless, in May, Senator Everett McKinley Dirksen, together with the Senate Republican, Democratic, civil rights advocates and officials from the Justice Department decided on a clean bill. The clean bill was close enough to the original bill, but was altered in order to win the unsure votes of the Republicans. With this on hand, on June 5, the filibuster ended and the cloture was invoked. The invoked cloture led the voting for the passage of the bill on June 10, 1964. The supporters of the civil rights won over the opposition, with 71 to 29 votes (“Major Features”). After the Implementation and Evaluation As the Civil Rights Act of 1964 continues to have effect today, it is known as one of the policies that have changed the course of politics and governance in America. One of the most lasting effects of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 is the way the Black Americans and other races were given the equal education in America. The abolition of the segregation between the Whites and the Black in schools resulted in positive effects in the educational system. In 2003, 80% of Black adults were given the chance to graduate from high school, compared to the 25% in 1964. Also, there was an increase in the Black American attendees in colleges, which were roughly 2,300,000 in 2003 compared to the 300,000 in 1964. Furthermore, in relation to employment, the policy tremendously affected the rise of employment by Asians, Blacks, Latinos and women in America. In 2003, the median income of a Black American family rose to $33,000 compared to the $19,000 in 1964. In addition, women were also given the chance to be employed and earn 89% more than their usual earnings. Also, one of the most profound societal effects of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 was the abolition of discrimination on buses, in theaters and restaurants. This has been present until now which allowed equal presence of races in America. On the other hand, after the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, amendments and changes were also done to the policy. One of the changes was the Voting Rights Act of 1965, where the literacy examination and voter disqualification were removed from the policy. Federal examiners were authorized to supervise the registration of voters in states that enacted the literacy examinations. Another alteration was done in relation to abolishing discrimination in housing privileges. The Fair Housing Act in 1968 was established in order to allow Asians, Blacks, Latinos and other races to rent and acquire houses within the state they belong. After this, in 1970, 1975 and 1982, the Voting Rights Act was also amended. In 1970, the 1965 provision was extended to five years, which brought a 50% increase of the voting population. In 1975, the 1965 provision was extended to seven years and there was a permanent ban of the literacy test for voters. Lastly, in 1982, the 1965 Voting Rights Act was extended to 25 years and preclearance coverage was given to jurisdictions that had a 10-year clean voting record. Owing to this amendment, the illiterate and disabled were given aid and instructions during the election. Also, the bilingual materials for election were also provided to different jurisdictions. In 1987, the Civil Rights Restoration Act was implemented. The amendment stated that every organization that partly received federal funds must legally follow the anti-discriminatory law. Furthermore, the Fair Housing Act was again amended in 1988. The amendment included the strengthening of the powers given to the Housing and Urban Development Department. Another amendment done to the Civil Rights Acts was the provision that if an employee complained of discrimination in the workplace and won the complaint, the complainant would receive a monetary award for the damages. The complaint must be within the premises of discrimination on an employee's disability, sex and religion (Williams; “Constitutional Amendments”; Hartford). Conclusion Change, in every angle, brings positive and negative results. Despite its perhaps numerous flaws, the Civil Rights Act of 1964 brought about tremendous positive changes in America. In terms of the segregation of Americans from Asians, Blacks, Latinos and other races were the key factor or accomplishment of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. For one, the discrimination was lessened in the country and many were given the opportunity to study and work. The policy aims to deter discrimination among races and that was by far the most notable result of the policy. Aside from that, women were given the right to be part of the voting public and were also given the right to work along with men. This result has also had a profound effect on the current society America depicts. Also, in the long run, many were given equal treatment in housing privileges, which were also a positive result of the policy. The government was more open to dealing with other races, which allowed Black Americans to obtain positions in government offices. Moreover, complaints of discrimination were given full regard in the country, and that law was and still is essentially necessary in workplaces. The policy plays a vital role or could serve as an example to deter discrimination in other countries. Works Cited “Civil Rights Act (1964).” ourdocuments.gov. ourdocuments.gov, n.d. Web. 22 Nov. 2012. . “Constitutional Amendments and Major Civil Rights Acts of Congress Referenced on This Web site.” Black Americans in Congress. Office of the Clerk, n.d. Web. 23 Nov. 2012. . Hartford, Bruce. “1964 July-Dec.” Civil Rights Movement Veterans. crmvet.orgn, n.d. Web. 22 Nov. 2012. . “Major Features of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.” CongressLink. eNom, Inc., n.d. Web. 22 Nov. 2012. . “Teaching With Documents: The Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.” National Archives. The U.S. National Archives and Records Administration, n.d. Web. 22 Nov. 2012. . “The Prize.” National Park Service U.S Department of the Interior. National Park Service U.S Department of the Interior, n.d. Web. 22 Nov. 2012. . Vox, Lisa. “The Children’s Crusade.” About.com. About.com, 2 May 2011. Web. 22 Nov. 2012. . Williams, Damon. “Civil Rights Act had Lasting Impact.” The Philadelphia Tribune. The Philadelphia Tribune, 5 July 2012. Web. 23 Nov. 2012. . Read More