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Positive Effects Of The Civil Rights Movement

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America is known for its revolution and its civil war. The history of America is mostly painted in positive light, but many choose to ignore the negatives. African Americans prior to the 1950s did not fight back to their oppressor however, that quickly changed. The civil rights movement began in 1954 to confront the racial discrimination of African Americans here in the USA. Before these protests and marches occurred, and even during, African Americans were force to endure countless amounts of abuse and segregation from many public areas. The effects of the civil rights movement have changed the shape of American society immensely and many, not just African Americans, have benefited from the sacrifices of many. A good education is something …show more content…

It goes all the way to the voting polls. Prior to 1965, when African-Americans wanted to vote they had to pass, what many now say was an impossible literacy test and if they did there was chance that they could denied the right to vote based prejudice. "Finally, the bill made obstructing an individual’s right to vote a federal crime. On May 26, 1965, the Senate passed the Voting Rights Act by a vote of 77 to 19"(U.S. House of Representatives). The Voting Rights Act of 1965 did away with the literacy and ensure that African Americans would be able to not only to register to vote but also be permitted into the buildings where voting took place. Some undermine the importance of the Voting Rights Act because there are people who decide not to vote in elections anyway. Many believed that most did not care to vote anyway. However, the impact of this act was felt immediately and was expressed in the increased of registered voters. "The measure dramatically increased voter registration in the short term. By 1969, 60 percent of all southern blacks were registered. Predictably, the bill’s impact was most dramatic in the Deep South. In Mississippi, for instance, where less than 7 percent of African Americans qualified to vote in 1964, 59 percent were on voter rolls by 1968. By 1975, approximately 1.5 million African Americans had registered to vote in the South"(U.S. House of Representatives). With …show more content…

Those who lead the civil rights movement sacrificed their lives for this generation and the next. The civil rights movement forced change so little girls and boys can now receive a good education all while being surrounded by others from different walks of life. The movement has granted African Americans the right to vote and has stopped businesses from discriminating others without consequences. Martin, Rose, Malcolm, and many others had a dream about what this generation is living through. But, there is more work to do and people should never settle for anything less than the best. Change began with them and change does not and should not stop with

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