Blacks in 1960

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"Blacks are better off in 1999 than they were in 1960."

After the Civil War, many amendments were passed in order to better represent blacks in America. The 13th, 14th and 15th amendments all changed blacks’ lives drastically and positively. The 13th amendment ended slavery and the 14th declared blacks as citizens. The fifteenth amendment stated that anyone can vote, regardless of color or race. However, the South devised poll taxes and literacy tests in a successful attempt at preventing blacks from voting. But in 1964, after a sufficient number of states ratified an amendment proposed by Congress, the tables turned for blacks. The 24th amendment banned poll taxes. The voting act of 1965 banned the use of literacy tests related to voting. Voting gave blacks a say in government and helped rise the moral of blacks in America.

Before 1960, De-jure (legal) segregation existed. The "Jim Crowe laws" racially segregated public places in the South. This degraded blacks to poor public accommodations and an inferior feeling from whites. However in 1964, the U.S. attorney general brought cases to court that dealed with any individual that was receiving unfair violations of civil rights. The discriminatory acts that were banned with the Civil Rights Act of 1964:

No discrimination in restaurants, hotels, gas stations, etc.

No discrimination in the government, federal run public accommodations like public parks and pools

No discrimination in federally support...

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