In: Economics
How successful was the civil rights movement in ending racial discrimination in the United States in the mid-twentieth century?
The Civil Rights Act of 1964, which abolished segregation in public places and prohibited discrimination on grounds of race , colour, faith, sex or national origin, is considered to be one of the crowning legislative victories of the civil rights movement. First proposed by President John F. Kennedy, it faced intense resistance from Southern Congressmen and was then adopted by Kennedy 's successor, Lyndon B. Johnson. In subsequent years , Congress amended the Act and passed new civil rights legislation, such as the Voting Rights Act of 1965.
The Civil Rights Act was later extended to include disabled Americans, elderly people and women in college sports under its protection. This also paved the way for two major follow-up laws: the Voting Rights Act of 1965, which outlawed literacy tests and other unfair voting practices, and the Fair Housing Act of 1968, which prohibited discrimination in the selling, leasing and financing of land. While the war against racism will continue, legal apartheid in the United States has been brought to its knees.