The 1960s and 1970s were crucial years for civil rights in the United States to bring about major changes through laws and social reforms. Social reforms that affect things like civil rights, women's rights, the equal rights struggle, etc. Ulitmaity commented on the changes that would come to modern society. Among some of the most important laws passed during this time, many of them were to incorporate African Americans lawfully into the system. One such act was the Voting Rights Act of 1965. signed by President Lyndon B Johnson, this act was meant to stop southern states from restricting African Americans' access to vote. It occurred after events such as The Selma to Montgomery March, which informed the country of the civil liberties that were being kept from African Americans. Previously in the southern states, there were certain standards and rules put in place for voting; most of these rules were not in favor of African American citizens, such as the literacy requirement. Around the same time, the Black Power movement was led by leaders like Huey P. Newton and Bobby Seale pushing for racial pride and self-reliance. This government showed that civil rights and civil liberties were both essential in the fight for equality. …show more content…
The National Organization for Women (NOW), started in 1966 working for gender equality and fighting to make sure women had the same rights as men. They wanted laws like the Equal Rights Amendment to be passed to stop gender discrimination. Besides groups like the National Organization for Women, other protests and legal actions directly change the government. For example, the 1968 Poor People Campaign organized by Martin Luther King Jr. aimed to get the government to help with economic equality, these efforts to show that civil rights covered a wide range of issues that needed direct action against unfair government