Civil Rights Act Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Civil Rights Act - Research Paper Example Even in the process of passing the Act many opposed it, but at the end of the day, it succeeded and brought with it a new perspective to Americans. It played a vital role in the aspect of racial, gender and religious discrimination in the different sectors. It is essential to look back on how the policy was established in order to assess the usefulness and the importance of the policy today. Background of the Issue During the early years in the 1960s, there was evidently unequal treatment of and opportunities for Blacks and Whites who resided in America. There was an invisible line that prevented the Blacks from securing any governmental position. They have even experienced discrimination within public and private establishments. In relation to this, during the 1960s, Birmingham, Alabama was considered as the most racist place in the U.S. Many of the discriminatory acts against African Americans were done within the limits of the state. In May 2, 1963, a march against the racist stat e was held by more than a thousand of African-American children. The protest was aired over national television and Kennedy, along with the world, witnessed how the protest was stopped by the police. The police used dogs against the children as they knocked the children out with sprays (Vox). It became a window for Kennedy to understand how racism and discrimination could lead people to hurt and even try to kill children. With this on hand, on June 6, 1963, President John F. Kennedy announced on national television that he was urging people to take part in the equal treatment of every individual of different races. After his plea, Kennedy suggested that the Congress should implement a law that would cater to every individual. The law suggested was to address racial discrimination, the voting rights, the right to education and the right of every individual for federal assistance. However, Kennedy was assassinated on November 22, 1963 which could have caused a delay in the passing of the Act. Nonetheless, the assassination of Kennedy did not deter the implementation of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. As the vice president, Lyndon Johnson became the president. He signed it into law on the same day it was approved by the House. It took only a few months prior to the signing of the act into a law in July of 1964 (â€Å"Civil Rights Act†). The passing of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 did not immediately end discrimination and inequality among the other races who resided in America. However, there were profound changes that led to the enhancement of the rights of Asians, Blacks, Latinos and women. Prior to the passing of the Act, there was a local and state law on color segregation, which allowed business owners and local government agencies not accommodate Asians, Blacks, Latinos and other races. However, the Act’s greatest achievement was the ending of this segregation and in return, allowed other races to sue public and private establishments that discr iminated or violated their rights. Furthermore, equal employment was also established, which did not allow discrimination in race, color, religion, sex, or national origin in the workplace, during the hiring process, promotion and dismissal of employees. During this time, employment and incomes of Asians, Blacks, Latinos and women rose along with the median income of the families (Hartford; â€Å"