Struggle for equal rights and opportunities in the United States

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Struggle for equal rights and opportunities in the United States
Introduction
It is essential to note that discrimination and bias have existed in the United States for decades, and this has impacted the members of the minority communities such as African Americans. Between the 1950s and 1960s, the people of color in the United States were considered second-class citizens, and they were denied equal rights and opportunities provided to the majority-white people. It is critical to understand that the institution of slavery was promoted in various southern states; the African Americans in these states were required to carry out all the manual and hard work, such as working in plantations owned by the whites. However, the development of various groups and movements throughout the country that were focused on promoting equality among all citizens helped in ensuring that people in the current American society have equal political, social, and economic opportunities and rights. This literature examines and evaluates the fight and struggle of civil rights groups such as the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) and the National Organization of Women’s Movement (NOW) that helped in facilitating for equality in the United States.
National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) was established in 1909, and it is one of the oldest groups that were formed with the goal of promoting the interests of the minority communities in the United States at a time when the African Americans and other small communities faced violence and discrimination throughout the country. The vision of the NAACP is to make ensure that a just society is promoted where all people have equal rights and that there is no discrimination based on race, color, and cultural background (National Association for the Advancement of Colored People). This movement was founded with numerous objectives, which included ensuring political, social and educational equality for all Americans. Additionally, the organization was also keen on removing the barriers that promoted racial discrimination, particularly during democratic processes. NAACP was also focused on informing the public about the potential effect of discrimination in society.
On the other side, the Organization of Women’s Movement (NOW) was formed in 1966 and was aimed at promoting and fighting for equal rights for women. Between the 1950s and 1960s, women were discriminated against in different areas such as employment, where they received less pay despite performing equal duties with men. Additionally, women were not allowed to work and would not be recruited into the army. The Establishment of NOW ensured that women would have access to education, employment, and get equal pay (Learning to Give). The founders of NOW were concerned with the way the federal government enforced the anti-discrimination laws, and the association was focused on bringing women into full participation in American society. This was only possible by ensuring that women were provided with all privileges and responsibilities enjoyed by their men counterparts.
Since its establishment, NAACP was focused on ensuring that it advocated equal and just treatment of African Americans, and it continued breaking down all the legal and social structures that were established to promote racial segregation. Before the 1950s, NAACP had established its nonprofit legal arm, which was critical in pursuing all legal matters that critical in fighting discrimination and promoting the rights of the minorities. In 1954, NAACP made a huge win where the organization led by Thurgood Marshall registered victory in the Brown v. Board of Education case (López, pp. 796 –811). This success of the NAACP, in this case, helped in making school segregation unconstitutional, and this ensured that all students would go to the same school. Additionally, the desegregation of state universities also provided students from minority communities with opportunities to further their education.
Additionally, the Montgomery Bus Boycott, a civil protest took place in 1955 after Rosa parks, who was an African American woman and member of the NAACP, refused to give up her seat to a white man in Alabama. The boycott took more than one year and as the people protected the segregated seating. Days after boycott has started, Parks was arrested as fined for violating the rules about bus seating. The boycott ended after the United States Supreme Court illegalized the segregation of public buses stating that it was against the constitution (History). This incident was critical in the fight against discrimination and equal rights and opportunities because it provided other leaders such as Martin Luther King, Jr., and other leaders who coordinated the demonstrations with opportunities for becoming distinguished civil rights leaders who would later motivate and influenced other minori...