-
Essay / African American Women Fight for Equality in America
Table of ContentsIntroductionSuffrage and Civil RightsEducational InequalitiesGender Disparities: African American WomenConclusionReferencesIntroductionIn the United States and many other countries, individuals from various countries, Religions, genders and races often struggle with issues related to racism, oppression and discrimination. These challenges encompass a wide range of experiences, impacting people because of their gender, race, religion, and more. One of the significant minority groups in the United States that has endured centuries of struggle for equality is the African American community. African Americans have faced disparities in voting, education, and employment that stem from the historical legacy of slavery and continue to the present day. Therefore, this essay will discuss the struggle of African Americans for equality in America. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essaySuffrage and Civil RightsThe inequality experienced by African Americans has its roots in the era of slavery, when they were treated as property rather than human beings. Over time, African Americans began to advocate for equal rights, which ultimately led to the abolition of slavery after the Civil War (History.com Editors, 2009). However, even after slavery was abolished, discrimination persisted. Efforts to secure voting rights for African Americans gained traction during the Reconstruction period following the Civil War, alongside the pursuit of equal rights under the law. Unfortunately, these rights remained largely theoretical as obstacles were continually erected to deny African Americans their full rights. The 13th Amendment, ratified in 1865, marked the abolition of slavery (“Landmark Legislation”, 2019). The 14th Amendment, ratified in 1868, granted citizenship and legal equality to all people born or naturalized in the United States, although it did not include women at the time (“Landmark Legislation,” 2019) . The 15th Amendment, ratified in 1870, prohibited denial of voting rights based on race, color, or prior servitude (“Landmark Legislation,” 2019). Despite these legal provisions, many states found ways to circumvent them, imposing conditions such as poll taxes, literacy tests, and the grandfather clause to restrict the voting of African Americans (Parrott-Sheffer, 2019). Threats, violence, and fraud further hindered their right to vote (Parrott-Sheffer, 2019). The fight for suffrage persisted throughout the 20th century, with milestones such as Martin Luther King's leadership in peaceful protests beginning in 1955 and the eventual abolition of voting. taxes and elimination of restrictive conditions through the Voting Rights Act of 1965 (Parrott-Sheffer, 2019). These advances dramatically increased voter registration among African Americans, from 23% to 61% in just four years (“Voting Rights,” n.d.). While these changes marked progress in suffrage, the fight against racial injustice continued. Educational Inequalities The journey toward educational equality for African Americans in the United States has been fraught with challenges. Historically, schools for black and white students were segregated, with each group attending separate educational institutions. This segregation persisted until the landmark case Brown v. Board of Education, motivated by the unfair situation in which an African-American girl had to go through a.