In this article, you’ll learn about the history of Martin Luther King Jr., the Fair Housing Act, the interpretation of the Civil Rights Act by the Supreme Court, and the wide disparity in income between whites and blacks. Then, you’ll learn about some of the current issues surrounding racial discrimination. But before you can make an informed decision about what to do next, you must understand what racism is.
Martin Luther King’s assassination
While the civil rights movement made many gains in the sixties, racial inequality in the United States is still a major issue. Racial violence is on the rise, and the wealth gap between black and white people is larger than it was in 1968, when King was killed. But there is still cause for optimism. Today’s young people are becoming
Increasingly politically active and engaged.
In the years before King’s assassination, Black Americans began to distrust white institutions and the American political system. They began to form groups known as Black Power, which grew to national proportions. Some black soldiers in the Vietnam War joined the movement. Polls also revealed that some white Americans supported King’s goals and wanted to end racism and discrimination in America.
The Fair Housing Act
In 1968, the Fair Housing Act was passed by the United States Congress. It was a major victory for civil rights activists. It was enacted to protect the rights of people of color and to prevent racial discrimination in housing. But the legislation had its share of problems. For one, the bill included exclusionary language, which made it harder to enforce. It also weakened penalties for violations of the law.
The Fair Housing Act has made it illegal to discriminate against people of color in housing
The federal government’s agency responsible for fair housing is the Department of Housing and Urban Development. This department works to establish a national fair housing policy and implement fair housing programs. Several of its programs target low-income people. But many people are still subject to discrimination and have nowhere else to turn.
The Supreme Court’s interpretation of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act
Despite the fact that the Civil Rights Act of 1964 is 50 years old, its fundamental provisions have remained largely unchanged. The debates over Title VI have been about how courts interpret the statute and how federal agencies interpret its protections. Ultimately, Congress has the final say on the law, and it has the power to supervise how federal agencies use it. For this reason, the Supreme Court has consistently interpreted Title VI so that it protects
Individuals from discrimination.
Although the Supreme Court has not definitively ruled on the second ambiguity, the law continues to be relevant. For example, Title VI prohibits discrimination based on race, color, and national origin. In recent years, there has been a proposal to expand the law’s coverage to sexual orientation, gender identity, and race, color, and national origin. The effects of this amendment on the law depend on how the courts interpret Section 601 of the law.
The disparity in income between blacks and whites
The disparity in income between blacks and the white majority is a persistent problem, and it has persisted despite the Great Recession. To close this gap, deliberate and systematic policy interventions are needed. Maintaining the status quo, however, will take at least 200 years. While the gap has narrowed somewhat in recent years, it remains large, and it is unlikely to close on its own.
The economic crisis has exacerbated the disparity in incomes
In fact, black households with incomes less than $20,000 lost money in the crisis, and most of them did not have enough money to buy food. That’s more than three times the rate of white families experiencing the same crisis. In addition, black households were four times more likely than whites to miss a mortgage payment. This could impact the low homeownership rate of blacks.
