Between 1916 and 1980 there was a significant increase in the rights of African Americans. These changes in de jure rights could be argued as revolutionary to a certain degree. To judge the success of change between 1918 and 1960 it is necessary to consider the social, political, and economic status of African Americans along with their black consciousness. Jim Crow laws were the main factor preventing African Americans from living freely in the Southern States. These laws existed solely in the Southern states and enforced legal segregation which prohibited African Americans living alongside white people.
Black people were stopped from sitting in the same areas as white people in restaurants, or on public transport. Jim Crow laws were in place to stop white people from having to encounter black people in everyday life. The laws were abolished in 1965 following the 1964 Civil Rights Act. This legally allowed black people to live alongside white people with no restrictions. The Northern states already had this liberty as neither Jim Crow laws or any similar legislation existed there enforcing de jure segregation.
The 1964 Civil Rights Act outlawed all segregation of public facilities, and discrimination in mployment. The end of de jure segregation opened many opportunities for African Americans and gave them an increased level of freedom compared to what they had pre-1964 Civil Rights Act. However only ended legal segregation; not changing the issue of de facto segregation which existed nationwide. Segregation and discrimination could still occur in private settings so although revolutionary change had come about in a legal sense, attitudes in the USA were unchanged and discrimination still existed.
The 1968 Fair Housing Act aimed to end discrimination in the purchase of property. Black people ould often be refused housing in white, upper or middle class neighbourhoods. This enforced and strengthened de facto segregation. The fair housing act had the potential to contribute to the complete end of de jure segregation, though the act was never fully enforced and as a result discrimination still occurred in a large percentage of housing transactions.
Should the act have been fully passed it may have been influential in lessening the extent of de facto segregation as black people begun to integrate into primarily white neighbourhoods rather than African Americans being forced into typically lower income areas. It can be seen that the changes in the social sphere can only be considered revolutionary in regards the law. White racist attitudes could not be changed by laws meaning African Americans remained in a similar position as before any action occurred. change in the political status of African Americans would have largely altered their position in society.
In 1940 only 3% of Southern blacks were registered to vote. This was due to various fabricated voting restrictions enforced on African Americans. These restrictions included literacy tests (which many African Americans could not pass), the grandfather clause – providing roof that your grandfather lived in the US and voted (this was not possible for black people as their grandfathers had been slaves and subsequently unable to vote), or random, on the fly impossible questions. All these were fully legal and prohibited black people from voting.
Because black people were unable to vote, white racism was able to be shown through government. With a low portion of African American voters it was likely that the party least willing to fight for civil rights would get into power. The low percentage of black voters was also an issue in local areas. As black people were typically a minority in areas hey had such a small impact on votes that their opinion barely counted. The 1965 voting rights act outlawed all clauses and tests which were being enforced to prevent black people from voting.
The effect of the voting rights act could be viewed between 1965 and 1966 as in that time period 230,000 black people registered to vote across southern states which altered the way US government worked. With more southern black voters the African American community would have a larger say in who was running the country, and even who would represent their area. As a result there were 1,944 African Americans in government by 1977. This was a large increase from the 72 black elected officials in 1965.
Despite this increase in registered black voters, there were still states in the South which had less than 50% of their black population registered to vote. Whilst African Americans did experience a large change in their political status they were still underrepresented as a population. The economic position of African Americans greatly increased between the years of 1916 and 1980. Between 1916 and 1970 more than 6 million black people moved from the racist Southern states to more welcoming and liberal Northern states in a movement known as the Great Migration.
Moving North opened up new opportunities for African Americans in many sectors including the world of work. Racial discrimination was not allowed through laws as it was in the South. This allowed black people to work equally alongside white people, thus receiving the same wages. Once black people were able to gain the same wages as white people, they could live equally with them causing a higher black population in the middle class. The 1964 Civil Rights Act outlawed workplace discrimination in the South.
Whilst there was equality nationwide by 1965 the attitudes in the South remained unchanged whilst Northern ttitudes were more open and welcoming. The 1964 Civil Rights Act was monumental in lowering black unemployment. By 1968 only 7% of the African American population was unemployed which was close to the white unemployment level which stood at 5%. The lack of unemployment and equality within occupations allowed the Southern states to begin to phase out segregation thus aiming to bring racial equality to the entirety of America.
Having black people working in the same jobs as white people also changed attitudes to a certain extent by proving that they only aimed to live and work – just like white people. This positively affected black people and was a start to eradicating de facto segregation. Between the years of 1916 and 1980, the economic status of African Americans was slowly improving as they were provided with racial equality in occupation which allowed them to live better lives due to their steady income.
Between 1916 and 1980 black consciousness increased as African Americans began to gain confidence. In the 1950s and 60s many civil rights campaigns created heroes out of black people such as Rosa Parks who began the Montgomery Bus Boycott, and Martin Luther King who fronted movements such s the Birmingham Campaign and the March on Washington. These campaigns were monumental for black people as they gave them a sense of unity through viewing people like them fighting for what they believed in.
Increased confidence was important as it allowed black people to exist freely in whichever way they wanted and take pride in themselves. Throughout American history black people had been taught to be ashamed of their heritage but black figures like King, and sporting heroes such as Cassius Clay embraced their African roots. Through increased black consciousness many Civil Rights groups had an influx of members. This included more militant black power groups including the Black Panthers whose newspaper had a readership of 1 million by 1968.
This sort of awareness of the black community was influential for African Americans. However, many of these groups had dissolved by 1980 due to falling membership though the difference had already been made. Black people were able to view themselves as culturally equal to white people as they were embracing their own ways and own heritage. Black consciousness was important for the status of African Americans as it involved them being able to accept themselves and move away from how they (and their amily before them) had been treated.
To conclude, it is clear that the status of African Americans did undergo change between 1916 and 1980, though these changes were gradual and eventually added up to give African Americans the rights they had in 1980. Others may argue that the 1964 Civil Rights Act was revolutionary as it granted black people with more rights in the social and economic spheres and was the result of Civil Rights campaigns throughout the 1950’s and 1960’s. Nevertheless, these acts accumulated to transform the status of black people in American society rather than one act being passed to monumentally change their status.
