The Civil Rights Act of 1964
The Civil Rights Act of 1964 was a long, sought-after piece of legislation. The countless hours of tireless work by many people made change possible. Even though it had been 100 years since the Emancipation Proclamation freed blacks from slavery in the United States, they still were not afforded the same rights, freedoms, and privileges of non-black citizens. Individuals, like John F. Kennedy, saw this problem and took action by playing a major role in the creation of the Civil Rights Act. Alexander M. Bickel, from The Commentary magazine, says that under Kennedy many issues were attacked, including school and interstate transportation desegregation and employment and housing issues (The Civil Rights Act of 1964). The Civil Rights Act of 1964 made it possible for our country
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According to Todd S. Purdum, in Plessey vs. Ferguson, the Supreme Court ruled that separate but equal facilities for black children were constitutional, but it wasn’t until sixty years later in Brown vs. Board of Education, that the Supreme Court ruled that separate facilities were inherently unequal (An Idea Whose Time Has Come 16). Luckily, the Supreme Court finally ruled the way it did. No matter what people say, the separate schools were simply unequal. According to West’s Encyclopedia of American Law, “The act also calls for the desegregation of public schools (West's Encyclopedia of American Law).” The schools for black children were in terrible condition with extremely limited supplies. Not only did they receive less public money, but the buildings were in shambles. America’s Black Holocaust Museum states in the article, The Education of Black Children in the Jim Crow South, that Leaky roofs, sagging floors, and windows without glass were the common conditions of African-American schools (R. Brooker). Segregation is the definition of unfair, so it was vital for leaders to tackle this issue right