The 1964 Civil Rights Act helped to contribute to the end of segregation in public places the act also furthered the desegregation of schools. The 1964 Act also gave blacks a greater chance of a fair legal hearing and more guarantee of legal action. However there were limitations to the effects of the Civil Rights Act, it did little for Black voting and Blacks still suffered from poverty and discrimination. But by 1965, 114 cities had formally desegregated, even in the deep- south progress was being made.
Black Americans had been fighting for the right to vote since the Civil Rights movement began. Civil Rights Groups such as NAACP and events such as Selma (1965) pushed for Black voter registration. In 1963 only 800,000 out of the 20million of the black population were on voting roles. For example, in Selma blacks made up 50% of the population but were less than 1% of the electorate. The introduction of the 1965 Voting Rights Act abolished literacy tests and ways of preventing blacks from voting. The act had a dramatic effect in the south and by late 1966 only 4% of the old confederate states had fewer than 50% of their eligible blacks registered. The number of black adults registered to vote had dramatically increased in Mississippi. In 1964 only 6.7% of blacks were legible to vote compared to 67.5% in 1968. The act also increased the number of black people elected to public office from 300 in 1965 to 1,400 in 1970.
The Civil Right Group, NAACP especially wanted to achieve and push for educational segregation. In 1954 the NAACP won a landmark legal case led by Thurgood Marshall. The Brown verses Boards of Education ruled in favour of integration and that the ‘separate but equal’ clause was unconstitutional. However, the victory was not total, as the Supreme Court did nothing to set standards in schools and gave no date by which desegregation had to be achieved. The NAACP returned to the Supreme Court with Brown II (1955) but there was still no date for compliance. However, some schools maintained whites only by manipulating entry requirements.
The Education Acts of 1965 also contributed to the desegregation of schools. For example, the Elementary and Secondary Education Act helped to get children out of ghettos. The results of the act showed that end of the 1960’s showed an increase in the number of blacks who had a high school diploma. Also the Higher Education Act proposed to aid the poor blacks into colleges. The number of blacks attending colleges increased fourfold in ten years. However, there were limitations to the education acts. In 1968 it was found that still 58% of blacks attended segregated schools.
Not only had blacks made progress in education and voting they had also made social progress. Blacks made progress in Housing with the 1968 Civil Rights Act. The act prohibited discrimination in the sale/rental of housing. However, black ghettos still existed in cities such as Chicago and Detroit. Blacks also made progress in health with the introduction of Medicare and Medicaid in 1965. This aimed to help poor minorities. It was found that black infant mortality had halved in a decade. However, problems in society still remained for blacks. The unemployment rates for white people remained higher than the figures for white unemployment. In the 1960’s the unemployment rates for blacks stayed above 7%. However, a black middle class was emerging. This was because in the 1960’s black income went up 100%. However, they still only earned 61% of the average white family.
In conclusion, Blacks had made large steps towards gaining full equality by 1968. Blacks were also emerging in politics. For example, in 1967 two black mayors were elected to Indiana and Cleveland. Also in 1967 Thurgood Marshall was appointed to Supreme Court judge. However, there were some limitations to black progress. Black voter registration was still lower than whites, some parts of Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia and South Carolina maintained segregation in public places such as bus terminals. Major economic and social problems remained for black people in both the north and south. Finally the prospects of further progress also were limited. This is because in 1968 the Civil Rights movement was weakened and divided and the two main leaders had been assassinated.
