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A Study On The Legislative Establishment Of Voting Right Of Afro-Americans

Posted on:2010-07-02Degree:MasterType:Thesis
Country:ChinaCandidate:R Y NingFull Text:PDF
GTID:2166360272498668Subject:World History
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A Study on the Legislative Establishment of Voting Right of Afro-AmericansHistory has witnessed the long and hard process of Afro-Americans fighting for their voting-rights. Amendments 14 and 15, passed after the Civil War, acknowledged both citizenship and voting-rights of Afro-Americans, facilitating their passage into political life. However, their voting-rights were severely handicapped due to the sabotages of South racists. Afro-Americans regained their voting-rights until 1950s and 60s. Though their social conditions were obviously improved, Afro-Americans still suffered great gap in political rights, economic status and education with white people.Chapter 1 Legislation Process in Voting-Rights of Afro-AmericansThe Natural Rights of Afro-Americans were denied since The Declaration of Independence. Slavery was under the acquiescence of The Constitution of 1787. Afro-Americans were seen as property and excluded outside citizenship. The 10 Amendments of 1791, known as bill of rights, empowered voting-rights to state. The Civil War of 1861-1865 provided an opportunity for break though race boundary in political rights. The government enacted Amendments 13, 14 and 15 which brought equality in citizenship and laws for Afro-Americans in text. But this equality is no more than a certain form of oral commitment: in reality, Afro-Americans have to endure prejudice and segregation. Through legislation and violence, white people stripped their voting-rights effortlessly. After the Second World War, especially in 1960s when class struggle climbed on a new level, Afro-American had achieved anti-racism and self-liberation in a great scale. Facing pressure, the Congress put forward Amendment 24, says"The right of citizens…shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or any State by reason of failure to pay any poll tax or other tax."Voting Rights Act of 1965 delegitimized prejudiced voter registration tests and authorized Federal Government to manage registration and voting procedure in any state or district suspicious of election prejudice or low registration rate, which ended a century long history of restrained voting-rights of Afro-Americans in the south. Afro-Americans use their regained rights and commenced the transformation from second class citizen to active participation in politics. The legislation process of Afro-Americans'political rights was then finally came to conclusion.Chapter 2 The Causes of Legislative Establishment of Afro-American Voting-RightsThe American society in 1960s favored Afro-Americans'voting-rights movement as well. In the age of social turbulence, people of different classes and strata released resent and anger which triggered anti-war movement, anti-mainstream culture movement, female movement for equal rights. Accompanying Afro-American civil rights movements, they waged serious domestic crisis in America. U.S. Government had to take move, and giving voting-rights to Afro-Americans was proved to be an effective measure to pacify angry Afro-Americans politically. The long lasting struggles of Afro-Americans and the government's action by passing anti-racism bills was gradually winning higher position against racist mentality of white people since the Second World War. White people no longer ignored the suffrage of Afro-Americans. The voting-rights also give rise to the attention to Afro-Americans'inner quality. And to Afro-American peoples'educational level is also a vital measure to the quality of a person, a nation and a country. As Afro-Americans'educational quality is improving, they could conduct struggles theoretically, strategically, organizationally for voting-rights. International support also propelled this movement. First of all, African national liberation movement gave them great inspiration and encouragement in the age of post WWⅡnational liberation movements. Secondly, the Americas two faces—chanting democracy, freedom and human rights outside while committing racism inside—were exposed and criticized by world public opinion. American government had to take action. Lastly, the long lasting Cold War also contributed to the change of fate of Afro-Americans.Chapter 3 Practical Effects of Solving Afro-American Voting-Rights in LegislationIt changed Afro-Americans political status. Because of the surge of voting registration rate in the South, Afro-Americans step by step became a political force to be reckoned with. Afro-Americans has made great achievements in struggling for equal rights in 1950s and 60s, and winning over segregation as law put an end to it. However, the issue of Afro-Americans has not been terminated once for all. Abolition of segregation in law did not necessarily ensure racial equality in real life. Though Afro-Americans social status has been improved somehow, their political rights, economic status and education still face gaps with white people.After all, the civil rights records in American history are not perfectly clean. But it offered a kind of historical reference: a country pay less attention to protect basic rights of its citizens and a country failed to provide effective facilities for citizens'participation and application in political rights can neither be just nor implement peace and order.
Keywords/Search Tags:Afro-American, voting-rights, American democracy
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