One of the triumphs of the Civil Rights Movement Essays

" One of the triumphs of the Civil Rights Movement is that when you travel through the South today, you do not feel overwhelmed by a residue of grievance and hate. " - Alice Walker Nearly a century after the Emancipation Proclamation in 1863, African Americans still faced alienation and racial inequality in America. Instead of being accepted into American society, they were discriminated and isolated ; esp ecially in the Southern states. However, i n the late 19 50's and throughout the 1960's , awareness towards this problem seemed to skyrocket. M any great African A merican men and women decided to form a movement of great power, which would change the lives of African Americans for days to come . In this movement, t hey would use civil disobedience and non-violent protests to eliminate segregation , even in the face of danger exhibited by several state troopers and white supremacist groups, such as the Ku Klux Klan. After days of hardship and perseverance, the movement rose to prominence, achieving miracles its predecessors did not ; notably the Civil Rights Act of 1964. T herefore, the Civil Rights Movement was successful because it greatly improved and benefited the welfare, education and voting rights of the African Americans in the U.S.A. First of all, one of the most important aspects of life which the Civil Rights Movement succeeded in improving was the educational welfare of African Americans and other such minorities throughout the country. In an excerpt from a USA today article written in 2014 , it was stated that "In 1964, just one in four blacks above age 25 had graduated from high school. Today, the number is 85%. The percentage of blacks with a college degree has risen from 4% to more than 21%." Therefore, racial equality in education has greatly increased from the 1960's, amounting to a better life for minority groups, especially African Americans . With a greater depth in education, African Americans are able to not just to support themselves and their family, but are also able to contribute to American society and even the American economy. If this trend continues, African Americans will likely outnumber white graduates from high school and college, having a likel ier chance of not being unemployed; resulting in equal opportunity for all. Hence, as a result of the Civil Rights Movement, African Americans are learning more and contributing to the American society than they ever had in the past. Furthermore, the Civil Rights Movement has succeeded in benefiting African Americans ' voting righ ts and power in the government . According to data compiled by the Pew Res earch Center in 2014 , "Blacks' gains at the voting booth have been dramatic. In last year's presidential election, black turnout exceeded that of whites for the first time And the number of black elected officials has soared from fewer than 1,500 in 1970 to more than 10,500 today." Thus, African Americans are not just excelling by educational standards, but also by political standards , as well . With this overwhelming surplus of black voters and officials in government , a brighter and racially equal America can be seen to exist in the future . Also, the more voters and officials from minority groups there are in America, the more potential it can hold for newcomers from other countries. All American communities now have a chance to become as diverse as the y possibly can, welcoming immigrants and not dismissing them as many communities did in the past . Moreover, if these trends continue, soon a majority of the government will consist of officials from minority groups, resulting in many policies be ing changed pertaining to minority groupsnotably immigration policies. Therefore, the Civil Rights Movement has accomplished another feat in African American history in relation to black voting proving that it was a success. Lastly, another aspect of life in which the Civil Rights Movement succeeded in improving was the economical state of African Americans. In the USA Today article composed by Richard Wolf mentioned above, it was stated that, "The black poverty rate has dropped from more than 40% in the 1960s to about 27% today; child poverty similarly has dipped from 67%