African-Americans and their Political Progress

Paper Summary:

This paper tackles the impact of African-American political progress in socioeconomic terms. Included in the discussion is the significance of the civil rights movement and the resultant Civil Rights Act of 1965 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965. The establishment of "Black Power," its vital political significance in economically integrating present day African-American communities into the mainstream American workforce are also discussed.

From the Paper:

"What was the economic basis for exclusion and inclusion of-African- Americans in the political process? African-Americans did not possess sustained economic opportunity until World War II, when most of the white male population was conscripted, leaving jobs on the home front vacant. The primary difference of this opportunity from others in the past was that "earnings" increased post-war (Ferguson 17). The mass migration of African-Americans to jobs in the North during the 1950s and 1960s also contributed to this (Thernstrom & Thernstrom 15). Unfortunately, most jobs were menial - those unwanted by whites - and progression up the ranks was the exclusive "right" of whites. It was a well-accepted notion that unemployment was a major factor in dissatisfaction with the prevailing society and led to extreme events such as riots."

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