In the face of such persistent inequality, many black Americans began to question Dr. Black Americans still struggled against social and economic oppression in the form of lower wages, unemployment, poor housing, and insufficient access to educational opportunities. De jure integration and equality had been achieved.Īnd yet, many white Americans vehemently resisted social reform, making de facto racism a continuing reality. The 1964 Civil Rights Act and the 1965 Voting Rights Act were the federal government’s response to this grassroots effort under these laws, no longer could states ignore black citizens’ rights and protections as codified in the 14th and 15th Amendments. The March on Washington in 1963 had introduced a wide audience of Americans to the civil rights movement’s vision for an integrated America. The violence and abuse black and white civil rights advocates had suffered at the hands of white southerners during the protest summers of 19 had raised national awareness of the persistent inequities of southern society. King and the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) had achieved substantial success in the civil rights struggle.
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