Civil Rights

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Equality should’ve never been questioned, it’s what’s right. Throughout history, civil rights were an important matter. There were many acts written to prevent segregation based on race, color, sex, national origin, etc. African Americans stepped up to become leaders in the fight to end segregation. The government has passed laws requiring “separate but equal” treatment between white and colored people. For a long time after the Emancipation Proclamation, there was still segregation, even after many acts and African American leaders performed ways to be equal. Freedom Rides were an important part of history. Freedom Rides were a series of political protests by black and white people riding buses together in a peaceful fight against segregation in the south in 1961 (Freedom Rides). Many of the Freedom Riders, or the people who rode the buses, were arrested, beaten, and severely injured. The bus was bombed and shot at, the tires slashed. At every stop, the policemen failed to protect them. This caused the National Guard to get involved, to support them. This also became one of the causes of a number of Civil Rights Acts. There were a handful of Civil Rights Acts being passed during this time period. One of the most important acts was one of the initial acts, the Civil Rights Act of 1964. The purpose of this act was to end discrimination against race, color, religion, sex, origin, or age. The act created the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) to enforce the law. By the late 1970’s, all branches of the federal government had taken some action to achieve the promise of equal protection (Teaching with Documents). Today, according to the U.S. Government Manual of 1998-99, the EEOC enforces laws that prohibit discrimination... ... middle of paper ... ...Three students disappeared from the college and were found six weeks later, beaten to death. Two of the students were white, one was white. This greatly impacted the project in Mississippi. The founders wondered if they would’ve investigated as thoroughly and as deeply if all of the missing students were black. The events of this project caused many to feel hopeless about equality every being able to be achieved. There have been many acts and laws created, and many individuals that have stepped up and fought for equality. We, as citizens of the United States, should recognize this and realize that freedom is for everyone. No one should be judged, treated differently, or ridiculed based on their appearance or background. We also need to stand up for what’s right, in this case, equality. Equality is what’s right and everything in the Civil Rights Movement proves that.

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