To begin, the negative side talked about all of the brokenness and hurt within the 1960s and 70s.
Josh spoke about the assassination of RFK. He was a Democratic Presidential candidate in 1986 and hours before he was going to win he was shot and killed. RFK went through many times of trials, including announcing the death of MLK in 1968. RFK was really America's only hope and saving grace, so after his death, America was more divided than it ever was. This was truly a setback for the African-American community and the whole United States.
Next, Max touched on another death, the assassination of Malcolm X. He joined Islam which focused on violence. He went to prison where he adopted the name Malcolm X. February 21, 1969, was his assassination. It was a significant and tragic event in the Civil Rights movement.
Kayla spoke on behalf of the anti-miscegenation laws saying that mixed-race marriages were illegal. The Lovings committed this crime so they had the option to be arrested or leave the arrest in Virginia and move to Washington DC. On June 12, 1967, the law was overturned, and announced that the act was unconstitutional and violated the 14th Amendment.
In addition to these, Brad explained the concept of "Redlining". Federal housing agencies made it very difficult for black people to buy a house and receive a loan. The Fair Housing Act of 1968 overturned this policy.
Lastly, Gabbie explains the Boston Bus Riots where black students were told to take buses that were outside of their neighborhood. The Supreme Court created the desegregation of schools and the transportation busing system. There was a lot of violence and many African American students did not show up to school after the first day because they felt, targeted, abused, and unsafe.
On the other hand, there were many positive acts and progressions during this movement.
First, Jonathan touches on The Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibited discrimination in public accommodations. It was signed into law by President Lyndon Johnson. After marches and disputes, leaders acted on these rights. I Have a Dream speech by MLK persuaded him to make this because he talked about treating whites and blacks equally in his speech.
Kacie spoke on the Voting Rights Act of 1965, also signed by Lyndon Johnson. This stopped poll taxes and discrimination for black voting. This allowed everyone to vote equally.
Lindsey told us about the Fair Housing Act of 1968, signed into law again by Lyndon Johnson 7 days after the passing of MLK. This act fixed discrimination so that people could find a home and a safe place to live regardless of their background, race, ethnicity, and origin. This reminds us of our responsibility to make sure everyone thrives regardless of their background. Ultimately, every American should choose where they want to live regardless of their background.
Next, we heard Elliott speak about Thurgood Marshall who was the first ever African American to be in the Supreme Court. Marshall participated in many cases regarding civil rights including Brown v Board. His arguments in favor of civil rights did not go unnoticed.
Lucy then talked about the term affirmative action, which caused more equity in the workplace. Ensuring that employment after college would only increase. This has caused many benefits to America.
To conclude, Abby talked about The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), which worked to prevent discrimination. The Civil Rights Act caused this organization to enhance Title 7 of the Civil Rights Act.
Overall, this was a difficult period with deaths and many trials arose, however, many important and significant enhancements were made.
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