...Our American History: Improving Social Justice for Minorities and Women From the End of the Civil War Through the 1970s History 1312 The University of Texas at Arlington December 16, 2011 Improving Social Justice for Minorities and Women From the End of the Civil War Through the 1970s I. At the end of the Civil War in 1865, most African American slaves held a renewed hope that with President Abraham Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation of 1863 would come economic opportunity and social mobility. There was the expectation that they would have political representation and the assurance of at least the beginning of attaining equality1. After the end of the war in 1865, there were enough states to ratify the 13th Amendment which outlawed slavery. However, it did not provide any equal rights or citizenship. As time passed and minorities began to assert themselves into American society, social justice movements that were led by blacks and whites alike began to become more commonplace. However, the struggle to become fully recognized as equal members of American society has been a battle that was fought through the 1970s—and in some measure, continues today. Like minorities, women have struggled with inequality and social injustice. However, their decision to fight for equality began before the start of the Civil War. The Seneca Falls Convention in New York was held in July of 1848, and can be referred to as the...
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...that affirmative action is good for America Affirmative action is a social justice policy that seeks to undo past injustices against minorities by providing special incentives to institutions to hiring them, accepting them into schools among other economic arenas. Some legislation, such as the Civil Rights Act of 1964, that outlawed all sorts of discrimination against anyone based on race, gender, and religion, and included desegregation of public schools. The term "affirmative action" was first used in the United States in "Executive Order” signed by President John F. Kennedy in 1961, which included a provision that government contractors "take affirmative action to ensure that applicants are employed, and employees are treated during employment, without regard to their race, creed, colour, or national origin.” In the United States, affirmative action has been the subject of numerous court cases. In Grutter v. Bollinger (2003), the Supreme Court permitted educational institutions to consider race as a factor when admitting students. In other countries, such as the United Kingdom, affirmative action is rendered illegal because it does not treat all races equally. This approach to equal treatment is described as being "colour blind." In 1995 after the case of Adarand Constructors v.Pena, Justice Thomas stated that “the constitution, federal and state laws should all be coloured blind”. Meaning these areas should treat every individual equally, removing the previous barriers that...
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...to these horrible working conditions, the slave masters often tortured and raped young colored women. It wasn’t until December 6, 1865 that the 13th amendment abolished slavery in the United States. The 13th amendment states that “neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted, shall exist within the United States, or any place subject to their jurisdiction”(13th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution: Abolition of Slavery (1865)). Although this amendment abolished slavery, segregation was still a major problem in America. On May 17th, 1954, the Supreme Court handed down its ruling in the Brown v. Board of Education case. The Brown v. Board of Education case of Topeka, Kansas influenced the path of...
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...the Civil Right Movement. Affirmative action has allowed a lot of children to be able to pursue dreams that they never thought would permissible. Racial discrimination has been an ever going trend here in the United States and in other countries for hundreds of years. Women and minorities are some of the leading people in this world who suffer the most from racial discrimination. By implementing affirmative action in all areas of our lives this world would come together and allow people to get to know people they wouldn’t have known because of the color division in this country. Students who are start at a disadvantage in school are given a boost to succeed with affirmative action. Affirmative action creates diversity in the workplace and in society. Affirmative action is needed to break stereotypes. Affirmative action is not reverse discrimination. A society can be color blind if they would learn how to base their decisions on character and not on color or gender. Affirmative action does not help a disqualified person move up in life if they do not have the skills need for the job they are doing. Introduction Racial discrimination has been around for thousands of years and the time came for some changes to be made in the United States. Affirmative Action was one of the plans set in place to help level the playing field for all Americans who had been discriminated against and give them an equal break in the...
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...the United States?” Affirmative Action is a policy in the United States that “aims to enhance educational and career opportunities for minorities and women by granting them preferences in college and graduate school admissions, promotions, and contract awards.” (Boxill) Such programs are designed to ensure that qualified individuals in America have equal access to opportunity in areas such as education and employment, and receive a fair chance to contribute all their abilities. As T.H. Andersen points out: “Supporters declare themselves the champions of racial justice, protectors of Martin Lurher King’s Dream, while the opponents see themselves as the defenders of merit, of colorblind equal protection enshrined by the U.S. Constitution.” (Anderson Preface X) Therefore, although at first these programs were considered a huge success, many argue that Affirmative Action has been out dated and is not working anymore. Affirmative Action has served its purpose, and is no longer needed and should be abolished or reformed, as it will no longer be useful in helping eliminate the racial gaps in the United States. Affirmative Action has achieved a great deal since it was first introduced in the 1960s. Politicians have characterized Affirmative Action as a policy “designed to right the wrongs of the past, as a quota system, or a set of remedial programs aimed to compensate for the inadequacies of people of color”(Crosby 4). Affirmative Action grew out of the Equal Rights Movement...
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...Separate Car Act, passed by Louisiana in 1890. Plessy litigated against John Howard Ferguson, under the 14th Amendment Equal Protection Clause. Upon losing in the lower court, Plessy appealed to the Supreme Court. Plessy v Ferguson (1896), a landmark Supreme Court decision dealing with states’ rights, and whether or not they have the authority to make laws that publically segregate blacks from whites, ruled 7-1 in favor of Ferguson. The Court ruled that, because the Louisiana law was within state boundaries and because both of the cars were of equal quality, there was no violation of Plessy’s 14th amendment rights. The Supreme Court held that the 14th only made blacks as equal as whites, and had not made reference to segregation. As long as the segregation was equal, nothing had been violated. This case established the infamous separate-but-equal doctrine, fundamentally legalizing segregation. The majority opinion, held by justices Brown, Field, Gray, Shiras, White, Peckham, and joined by Fuller,...
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...Comprising fifty-percent of the population, women are by far the largest “minority” in the United States. Through them I could relate the most important social, political and economic trends of the century. Their achievements, as well as their missteps, tell us a story of America that we most often hear of in snatches, or read about in digressions. How many times have you heard “All men are equal”. It’s a quote from the American Constitution. In today’s society it has been taken literally. Yes all men are created equal but are women created equal as well? Of course not, most would probably say yes but women are a minority in this country. Men are the rulers over America, being very forgetful that because of women they live. Although women are the creators of life, women are still not being treated equally when it comes to jobs, salary, or other aspects. Is it fair that women still don’t receive the respect and the same things men have the right too. Obvious biological differences made women the first minority group. Disadvantages resulting from their smaller frames and lighter weights, combined with their reproductive destinies as mothers, relegated them to a second class status. As more women became educated, however, they began to assume a more prominent role on the national stage. By about the turn of the twentieth century, their importance could no longer be denied. The women’s struggle for equal rights is characterized by peaks and troughs. Periods of activity were...
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...Political science is governed by five myths: that it studies politics; that it is scientific; that it is possible to study politics separated off from economics, sociology, and history; that the state in our democratic capitalist society is politically neutral, that is available as a set of institutions and mechanisms to whatever group wins the election; and that political science, as a discipline, advances the cause of democracy.1 Politics, in the broadest sense, is the activity through which people make, preserve and amend the general rules under which they live. Politics is the process of who gets what, when, and how. Lastly, politics is a process of allocating scarce values.2 Various theorists and concepts define what the role of politics is in order to help us get a better understanding of how the study of politics is useful. Politics help us to understand the relationship between the government and the state’s minority citizens. Plato, the student of Socrates, defined politics in his own way. The ideal government proposed by Plato was the adherence of each individual to “universally valid principles” aimed at improving the lives of all the citizens instead of increasing power, prestige, or material wealth of a select few. Plato believed that this ideal government would be ran by individuals ho were full of wisdom and virtue instead of charisma and cunning. This is because in Athenian democracy, leaders were irrationally chosen based on irrelevant details such as family...
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...Women and Minorities in Law Enforcement Women and minorities can be found in many policing agencies across the United States. Unfortunately the history of policing in the United States portrays how hard it was for women and minorities to become police officers. Additionally history also shows how the minorities and women rose up to earn an equal opportunity to represent their communities as police officers. An All White Male Club Police agencies in earlier years lack several elements that most present day police agencies have. In history most police agencies lack both ethnic and gender diversity (Grant, 2008). As the 1960’s and 1970’s pass through, many equal opportunity and equal rights movements occurred, which opened up opportunities for women and minorities. Legislation was passed such as the 1964 Civil Rights Act which helped minorities fight employment discrimination by policing agencies (Grant, 2008). Eventually Affirmative action was born, which made policing agencies overlook ethnic and gender criteria, and hire personal based on their performance and qualifications. Their Changing Role With an equal opportunity of becoming police officers, many women and minorities need to adjust to their new roles. Women in today’s policing agencies currently answer more domestic abuse calls because they have been statistically better at handling those situations then male police officers (Grant, 2008). Policewomen also tend to hold more roles in community...
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...most members of this group? The most majority of the population of the United States is the white race, the reason for this is that many immigrants came from Europe and formed colonies in what is now called the United States. They are the majority due to their numbers and social standing. The most common ancestral background of most members of this group is European. The ancestors of the white Americans came to the United States to forge new opportunities. There is also ancestral background for white American’s that come from the German, English, Irish, Scandinavian, Polish, Dutch and Norwegian. • What are some of the larger racial minorities in U.S. history? What have been the common ancestral backgrounds of each of these groups? When did each become a significant or notable minority group? Some of the larger racial minorities throughout U.S. history have been African American and Irish American. The black population in America began at the same time as the white population, however the African Americans were brought from Africa to the United States during the slave trade. They were brought to the United States involuntarily and were unwillingly taken from their home. African Americans became a significant minority group in in 1863 when President Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation, ending slavery in most states. The Irish Americans started immigrating to the United States after the Irish potato famine in 1845. The Irish potato famine was caused...
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...segregation |Segregation that existed because of local laws that mandated the segregation. | |Pluralism |Used to denote a diversity of views, and stands in opposition to one single approach or method of | | |interpretation | |Assimilation |The process whereby a minority group gradually adapts to the customs and attitudes of the | | |prevailing culture and customs. | Part II Answer the following questions in 150 to 350 words each: • Throughout most of U.S. history in most locations, what race has been the majority? What is the common ancestral background of most members of this group? Throughout most of American history the majority race has been causasian. This may be different now in different parts of the country due to increasing “minorities” that are quickly becoming more of a majority. The likelyhood of...
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...a county that will offer a citizenship equal liberty, rights and equal opportunity. In my paper I will discuss the path on how affirmative action was established, and how it is important to public and private procurement. I will use examples of affirmative action from recent discriminating cases. I will show how affirmative action affects federal and subcontractors within the government agencies. I will also talk about how high level manager uses affirmative action within their companies. I will also discuss the path of affirmative action how the changes affect the veterans that have served in the U.S. military. Finally I will discuss how affirmative action has helped changed America for the benefit of the people. “Preferential affirmative action patronizes Americans, blacks, women and others by presuming that they cannot succeed on their own. Preferential affirmative action does not advance civil right in this country” (Alan Keyes). As many decades have past, the question of whether America is place where equal opportunity is available to every citizen of the United States has grown as major debate throughout society. The legal meaning of affirmative action is the employment programs required by the federal statutes and regulations designed to remedy discriminatory practices in hiring minority group members. Affirmative action also means that positive steps are taken to increase the representation of women and minorities in the areas of employment, education...
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...Healthcare has grown substantially across the United States in recent years; there are constantly new medical studies to allow everyone to have the best quality of life possible. While this may seem as though improvements are being made for everyone in the country, this is far from the truth. Minority groups have been subject to several types of health disparities, and are not as impacted by the healthcare system because of this. “Furthermore, statistics showed that the poor and minorities - blacks, Native Americans, and Hispanics - had higher rates of illness, more days lost from work, a greater infant mortality rate, and a shorter life expectancy” (Sherrow 37). In both the average society and medical facilities, racial minorities have been...
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...Civil Rights Act of 1964 Michael Cain ELA2603 - Administrative and Personnel Law Professor Zara Sette August 17, 2012 Abstract The Civil Rights Act of 1964 is the nation's benchmark civil rights legislation, and it continues to resonate in America. The basic tenants of this legislation prohibit discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, sex or national origin and other protected classes as amended. Passage of the Act ended the application of "Jim Crow" laws, which had been upheld by the Supreme Court in the 1896 case Plessy v. Ferguson, in which the Court held that racial segregation purported to be "separate but equal" was constitutional. The Civil Rights Act was eventually expanded by Congress to strengthen enforcement of these fundamental civil rights (United States Senate - Committee of the Judiciary). In the 1960s, Americans who knew only the potential of "equal protection of the laws" expected the nations political leaders and the courts to fulfill the promise and guarantee of the 14th Amendment. In response, all three branches of the federal government, as well as the public at large, debated a fundamental constitutional question: Does the Constitution's prohibition of denying equal protection always ban the use of racial, ethnic, or gender criteria in an attempt to bring social justice and social benefits (National Archives, 2012)? The simple answer is no. The Civil Rights Act of 1964 In 1964 Congress passed Public Law 88-352 (78 Stat. 241). The...
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...Preferences Do Not Create Equality in Education To bring more diversity and create equality in higher education, many colleges give racial preferences when minority students apply. They do work; however, some white students feel racial preferences violate equal protection. The philosophy of affirmative action is useful in understanding creating education’s equality. In the United State, the racial problem is always an important issue in approaching democracy. In 1961, “affirmative action” first appeared in a government document named Executive Order10925 signed by John F. Kennedy. Affirmative action is the “positive steps taken to increase the representation of women and minorities… from which they have been historically excluded.” (Fullinwider 1) It mostly used in education field now to promote the proportion of minority students in higher education. Based on affirmative action, many universities give preference to minorities when both they and majority white students apply at the same time. So that many minority students got the equal chance, or even more chance to go to college. This kind of action do have influential effect, in 2004, 21% of the freshmen at the Austin campus, University of Texas were black or Latino, and this percentage up to 26% in 2007. (Washington) It seems that minorities get equal treatment and equal opportunity in education, however, it brings new problems. According to an article entitled “Supreme Court will hear case on affirmative action at colleges...
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