Read the first three articles in the Foundation of Civil Rights series, entitled Civil Rights Defined, and Civil Rights Insulted, and Civil Rights Guaranteed.
Voting Rights Act of 1965
After the Civil Rights Act of 1957 and the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (which was amended in 1991, and is sometimes referred to as Civil Rights Act of 1991), the civil rights movement had gained enough momentum to continue in its quest to solidify civil rights legislation for all, in keeping with the spirit of the Declaration of Independence and The Constitution of the United States.
The next important piece of legislation was the Voting Rights Act of 1965, which effectively forbids discrimination in all voting practices or procedures because of race and/or color. The infamous literacy tests were outlawed.
Executive Order 11246
1965 also saw the first enactment of “affirmative action” for government contractors. Executive Order 11246 was President Lyndon Baines Johnson’s brainchild, conceived in an effort to force equality in hiring practices by requiring employers to take an active role in the enforcement process.
The Civil Rights Act of 1968 (a.k.a. Fair Housing Act)
Continuing with the legislation of civil rights, 1968 saw the prohibition of discrimination in the sale, rental, and financing of housing because of race, color, religious practice, gender, disability, family status, or national origin. This was done, again by President Johnson, via the Fair Housing Act. Since it was only enforceable in a limited capacity, this act was amended in 1988, and given a set of “teeth” that have since aided in the guarantee of this right.
The Civil Rights of Institutionalized Persons Act of 1980 (updated in 1997)
Realizing that civil rights had been sorely neglected when dealing with those who are perhaps the most helpless, the Civil Rights of Institutionalized Persons Act enforces the protection of civil rights for all those who live/receive treatment in government institutions, such as the disabled, the elderly, the mentally ill, as well as the prison population.
The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990
Ten years later, the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 ensures that discrimination, i.e. as pertaining to employment and access to public accommodations, against individuals who have any kind of disability, is prohibited. This Act is chiefly responsible for the availability of machines called “devices for the deaf” (TDD), which make it possible for those with hearing impairments to communicate with agencies and also businesses.
As we can see, civil rights have evolved, and the spirit of the documents that governed the fledgling nation finally free of British rule, has certainly been realized. In future articles, we will examine additional landmark decisions that strengthened civil rights, as well as some that (in my opinion) have begun to erode them.
Please take a look at your host’s book recommendations. These books make great gifts for the student in your house or the historic/civic minded friend or family member. Additionally, they will assist the interested reader in examining the background of the legislation that sets this country apart:
Enforcing Normalcy: Disability, Deafness, and the Body
New Disability History: American Perspectives
