The Fight For Equality Throughout America - 1517 Words

The Fight For Equality Throughout history, minority groups in America have struggled day after day for the political and social equality that was promised to them in the constitution, that only a portion of the population actually enjoys. The time period from the end of WWII to the present has featured massive movements for equality. Mexican Americans and the LGBT community fought tirelessly for the political rights, social equality, and equal pay that the majority took for granted, and many are still fighting today. In the American Southwest, large numbers of Mexican Americans toiled in fields and factories working under slave-like conditions. They faced brutal beatings and women were often raped by the field owners. They worked long hours for barely enough pay to keep them from starving, and lived in separate neighborhoods that lacked much of the basic technology and development that white neighborhoods had. They had the worst education in the country and while they were constituti onally able to vote, poll taxes prevented many Mexican Americans from voting, as the majority of their community lived in poverty and could not afford to pay these taxes. A passage from What is La Raza? by Jorge Braud is featured in Major Problems that encompasses this prejudice; â€Å"Are Mexican-Americans a disadvantaged minority? The most recent study [...] has disclosed that in the Southwest, as compared to the Negro, the Mexican-American is on generally the same level economically, butShow MoreRelatedEssay on Martin Luther Kings Successful Philosophy1019 Words   |  5 Pagesbrought to America and put into slavery. They were treated more cruelly in the United States than in any other country that had practiced slavery. African Americans didn’t gain their freedom until after the Civil War, nearly one-hundred years later. Even though African Americans were freed and the constitution was amended to guarantee racial equality, they were still not treated the same as whi tes and were thought of as second class citizens. One man had the right idea on how to change America, MartinRead MoreThe Slavery Of The United States Essay1728 Words   |  7 Pagesindividuals in America. Dating back to the seventeenth century, Africans were taken from their homes and arrived in the United States as slaves. Although some colored people were in the land of the free, there were still segregation laws that restricted them of living life as a free American. In America, people are meant to have equal rights, but segregation did the opposite of that. Even after slavery was banned and there were no longer discriminatory laws, racism still exists in America. Somehow, throughoutRead MoreRhetorical Analysis Of I Have A Dream Speech1162 Words   |  5 Pagesspeech, â€Å"I Have a Dream†, illustrates the importance and necessity of equality and freedom for all human beings of all races and ethnicities. King’s purpose is to invoke within the minds of African Am ericans the will to rise against and fight for the right of all individuals. He conveys an impassioned and inspirational tone to paint a picture of freedom and equality in the minds of his listeners that enjoins the people of America regardless of their race and highlights the importance of standing togetherRead MoreThe Civil Rights Movement : African Americans And Native Americans1086 Words   |  5 Pagestogether at the table of brotherhood†(King). Through the decades of the 1940s-1960s, America built the foundation for civil rights, a movement in which minorities fought for equality. Groups that previously had been discriminated against began to defend themselves with greater strength and success. The civil rights movement inspired African Americans, Native Americans, women, queers, and Latinos to fight for equality. Although each social group faced their own unique challenges during the civil rightsRead MoreShould America Be The Same?1648 Words   |  7 PagesWould Amer ica Be The Same? Protests and chants full of discriminance and disparity filling America’s vast crevices of segregation. Long ago, The Civil Rights Movement was blossoming into a nation-wide dilemma as America began to be a nation of racism and segregation but the Civil Rights Movement’s effect on other minorities, race equality, and the important role it plays in society today makes it so greatly impactful on America. From the beginning, African Americans were always treated differentlyRead MoreThe Legacy Of The Gettysburg Address1161 Words   |  5 PagesMany years ago, America was not the country that is today, it had to fight for territory and freedom. Although it s become a country ruled by the people. People had to elect a president that fulfilled the expectations to expand and to create a successful country. Each of the chosen presidents left a mark; some achieved many good things and others failed. One of the big events that contribute to the way America is designed today was the civil war of 1861.During this war president, Abraham LincolnRead MoreAnalysis Of I Too By Langston Hughes881 Words   |  4 Pagesthe overall themes of his poems. Segregation and equality were the main subjects for Hughes’s writing. Langston Hughes wrote about the racial discrimination that African Americans faced during the Harlem Renaissance, and this theme resonated throughout the poem â€Å"I, Tooâ⠂¬ . Hughes was one of the boldest African American writers of this time that expressed his thoughts about the equality of his people. Segregation and racism were prevalent in America during Langston’s lifetime. In fact, he witnessedRead MoreThe Fight For Women s Rights1711 Words   |  7 Pageslargely recognized throughout the 20th century. In particular, feminism has had its most lasting effects through two large waves in the early 1900’s, whilst fighting for women’s suffrage, and the 1960’s to 1970’s, which focused on women in the workplace and counteracting the submissive roles assigned to women in the 1950’s. These political battles for gender equality have left lasting footprints on today’s society by giving women opportunities previously unattainable. Still, the fight for women’s rightsRead MoreAmerica s Abolition Of Slavery976 Words   |  4 Pagesproperty in his own person. This nobody has a right to but himself,†- John Locke. Those who are born into America today are farther and farther removed from a dark chapter in U.S. History. In America, the second you are born you have the unalienable rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. This wasn’t always the case. The enslaving of African American’s was a way of life in America, especially in the Southern states. Black people were either forced or born into slavery. These people hadRead MoreEssay On The Declaration Of Independence778 Words   |  4 Pagesimplementing the foundation of the American government. The Declaration of Independence represents great significance in the history of the United States due to its influence throughout time. The Declaration signifies the rebellion against the British Parliament and the unification of the colonies in the fight for equality, liberty, and justice. Furthermore, the Declaration established a new form of government wherein the ultimate authority lies within the consent of the governed. The Declaration