Federal Policy Analysis and Recommendations

Policy Analysis

Patrice Scope

Capella University

Social Welfare History Policy Practice/SWK5002

11/18/2021

Policy Analysis

Racial discrimination of African Americans dates back over a century ago and continues to be a persistent social problem in the United States. Since the arrival of the first Africans during the slave trade to America’s civil war, African Americans have been denied social, economic, and political freedom. They have been subjected to police brutality, segregation, lynching, and other forms of discrimination that continue to be reflected in socioeconomic inequalities. However, lobby and advocacy campaigns by civil rights groups have caused the federal government to formulate and enact policies that outlaw racial discrimination in the US. The civil rights act of 1964 males it illegal to discriminate based on sex, race, colour, religion, and national origin. This paper analyzes the development of the policy and its impact in addressing discrimination against African Americans.

Background and Development of the Policy

After the civil war, three constitutional amendments were made in favor of African Americans. The 13th amendment put an end to slavery, while the 14th amendment allowed citizenship to all individuals born and naturalized in the US and assured equal protection to all citizens. The granting of citizenship included former enslaved African Americas. The 15th amendment gave African American men the right to vote after the civil war. Despite these amendments, most of the States used well-curated measures to deprive African American citizens of the right to vote. These States, especially in the south, enforced racial discrimination through legislation that encouraged perpetrating violence against blacks by white supremacists. In 1957 the US Congress founded a tribunal consisting of members of the justice department and a civil rights commission to investigate discrimination cases.

Later, the massive southern resistance against desegregation led to the proposal for a civil rights bill that would protect African Americans. In 1961 when John F. Kennedy was inaugurated, he stalled the proposed anti-discrimination measures. It was not until the full-blown protests in the south when he decided to act. JF Kennedy proposed more comprehensive civil rights policies until his assassination when president Lyndon B. Johnson picked up his vision. Despite many attempts to sabotage the civil rights bill, Lyndon B. Johnson signed it into law on 2nd July 1964 (Hersch & Shinall, 2015). This was following a 73-27 vote in favour of the bill. In the subsequent years, Congress amended the act and enacted additional civil rights laws.

Evaluating the policy’s Effectiveness and Feasibility

The civil rights ct of 1964 accelerated the end of Jim Crow laws. It is regarded as one of the greatest accomplishments of civil rights movements. African Americans could have equal access to public facilities such as restaurants, hotels, and theatres (Hersch & Shinall, 2015). Blacks, women, and other minority groups could break set barriers and achieve their full potential in the workplace. Furthermore, many southern and northern African Americans got access to equal education by attending integrated schools, following the act’s enforcement. The expansion of this act gave forth the voting rights act of 1965 and the civil rights act of 1965 that provided protection on voting, housing, and racially motivated violence. The act also ended economic inequalities perpetuated by exclusion and racial discrimination. Notably, the civil rights act provided a benchmark and inspiration for other groups seeking equality. It has given forth to movements advocating for women’s rights and an end of discrimination due to disability.

The civil rights act of 1965 is still relevant today. Title VII of the act prohibits discrimination by employers based on colour, sex, race, origin, and religion. US equal employment opportunity agencies have used this section of the civil rights act to investigate cases of discrimination and violation of employee rights. The title has been expanded over the years to cover the plight of immigrant workers in the US. Besides, disparities are still observable in areas such as the education sector, where black students are more likely to face suspension than their white counterparts (Walker, 2015). There are also opportunity gaps leading to high socioeconomic gaps between Africa Americas and whites. Even though the powers given to the enforcing authority were weak initially, heightened enforcement has taken place over the years to bring social justice to all Americans.

Policy Constraints

The civil rights act of 1964 faced various challenges, making it impossible to end the discrimination subjected to African Americans entirely. The act opened accommodation for blacks but did not mean that their living conditions would change. This is because the act only outlawed discrimination, but its enforcement, especially in objecting states, was weak. For instance, white supremacists groups used poll taxes and literary tests to disenfranchise African Americans. Southern states enacted the “black codes” to govern blacks and deny them fundamental rights. These codes ensured that African Americans provided cheap labor despite the abolition of the slave trade. The weak enforcement saw African Americans make minimal improvement in their social-economic status. Instead, white supremacists made political and economic gains, increasing the gap between blacks and whites.

References

Hersch, J., & Shinall, J. B. (2015). Fifty years later: The legacy of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Journal of Policy Analysis and Management, 34(2), 424-456.

Walker, V. S. (2015). School" Outer-gration" and" Tokenism": Segregated Black Educators Critique the Promise of Education Reform in the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Journal of Negro Education, 84(2).