Struggle for Constitutional Liberty and Justice - Literature review Example

Struggle for constitutional liberty and justice Introduction The constitution of the United s has undergone various amendments through the centuries to ensure that justice and liberty become the fore pillars of the country (Bean, 2009). Various activists, politicians, influential people and the acts of the government have contributed greatly to ensuring that justice and liberty is served fairly to all citizens of the US. Background Since the great depression African American women in the United States have struggled to earn their constitutional rights. The African Americans faced a lot of prejudice and discrimination. It was for this reason that courageous individuals and organizations came up to champion for the constitutional rights and equality before the law for blacks and whites. The African Americans and other minority groups got considered as out casts by the whites, and as a result, they got discriminated and harassed (Eagles, 2012). The whites were given priority over the blacks who were ignored. It was for such reasons that the following individuals came up and struggled for the African American women and other minorities to be included in the constitutional promise liberty and justice for all. Thanks to them U.S is a better union since 1960. Influential activists Franklin Delano Roosevelt was the 32nd President of United States and he was a central person in fighting economic depression. He was also a leader of the Democratic Party and most importantly he championed for American liberalization (Robertson, 2013). He considered the minority in his tenure as he came up with domestic policies, which advocated for liberalism, democracy and equality before the law. Philip Randolph was an African American leader in charge of labor and he was also a civil rights and crusader. He was active and responsible for shaping first federal laws which gave African Americans equal rights and opportunities in the place of work. He was the president of a union of black workers in the passenger rail service (Houck & Dixon, 2009). He convinced Roosevelt to sign an order that forced factories to stop discriminating against African American workers. He advocated for equality at the work place. He advocated for payment on the basis of input of the individual employees and not their race. He championed for a better pay for the African American employees who were mainly paid meagerly where they worked. Eleanor Roosevelt was an American political leader who took advantage of her position as the first lady from 1993 to 1945 to campaign for her husband civil rights policies. She was an advocate for civil rights. After her husbands death, she went ahead with her campaign and advocated for better status of working women. She financed Jackie Robinson who was the first African American to playing the majors in baseball. She restrained herself from the racial hatred and discrimination and went ahead to represent the minorities. Rosa Parks was an African American civil rights activist and she got referred to as the first lady of civil rights by the U.S. congress. She got also referred to as the mother of freedom movements. She is in history for resisting bus segregation and an international icon of resistance of discrimination and racial segregation (Buchanan, 2009). She championed many freedom movements which promoted equality and discouraged prejudice and discrimination. She educated women about their civil rights and pushed them to demand for the same. Betty Friedman is well known for her role in women’s movement. Her book in 1963 is credited for initiating wave of American feminism. She was the founder and president of National Organization for women which aimed to make women fully equal to men (Houck & Dixon, 2009). She also organized a nationwide women’s strike for Equality which granted women a right to vote. She played a crucial role in introducing black people’s literature into the mainstream. Despite the prejudice and discrimination she still went ahead and became successful. Shirley Chisholm was an American author and politician. She was the first black American lady to be a congresswoman. She was also the first woman to contest for nomination of democratic presidency. She was a politician and a leader of civil rights. She was the first black American woman to be elected to the Texas senate (Buchanan, 2009). Upon her death, she was the first African American woman to be buried in the Texas state cemetery. She helped women to be acknowledged in political leadership positions. She encouraged women to vie for leadership position despite the fact that it was a male dominated affair. She was also involved in equality movements which championed for rights of women Anita Hill is an attorney and an academic. She is also a professor of law and women’s studies. She is on record for fighting sexual harassment in the work place. Maya Angelou is an author and poet and was the first African American lady to be able to discuss her personal encounters on public (Houck & Dickson, 2009). She was a spokes lady for the black people. Her poems were considered a defense for the African Americans. She was the first poet to recite on an inauguration. Alice Walker is an American feminist, activist and poet. She did play a key role in advocating for the minorities’ rights and welfare (Robertson, 2013). Major Government Legislation and acts of the constitution The Civil Rights Act of 1964: The act prevents discrimination and prejudice on the basis of color, race, sex, national origin and religion (Buchanan, 2009). It ensured equality before the law and it also protected the minorities. The act was against racial segregation at the work places, schools and in other facilities which served the general public. It also advocated for equal application of the voter registration. The act ensured that voting procedures and rules were applied equally to people from all the races. It supported the idea that despite the citizens having the right to vote, they hard to meet a standard regulation. Voting act of 1965: This was legislation that outlawed discrimination and unfairness against the African Americans (Mountjoy & McNeese, 2009). The act ended the imposition of voting qualification based on race or color. The act is considered a landmark in legislation of civil rights. More importantly the act enabled every citizen to have an equal chance and right to vote. Summary and conclusion The constitutional liberty and justice that America enjoys today is as a result of individual efforts and various amendments of the constitution making it accommodative to everyone. It is through the civil rights activists’ movements and efforts that the various acts such as; the voting act of 1965 and the civil rights act of 1964 were introduced in the constitution. These acts have ensured equality and fairness before the law. They prevent discrimination and prejudice on the basis of race, sex and color. They also protect the rights of the minority groups and ensure liberty for all American citizens. The sacrifice of various civil rights activists has succeeded to bear fruit in terms of creating a nation that is united and shines the beacon of freedom that is greatly admired around the globe. References Bean, J. (2009). Race and Liberty in America: The Essential Reader. Kentucky: University Press of Kentucky. Buchanan, P. D. (2009). The American Womens Rights Movement: A Chronology of Events and of Opportunities from 1600 to 2008. New York: Branden Books. Davis W. Houck, D. E. (2009). Women and the Civil Rights Movement, 1954-1965. New York: Univ. Press of Mississippi. Eagles, C. W. (2012). The Civil Rights Movement in America. Mississippi: Univ. Press of Mississippi. Robertson, G. (2013). Crimes Against Humanity: The Struggle for Global Justice. New York: New Press. Shane Mountjoy, T. M. (2009). The Womens Rights Movement: Moving Toward Equality. New York: Infobase Publishing. Read More