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KendahlAwni
MsDyer
11.4Am.HistoryHonors
May17,2016

ExperiencesofanEra

The1960sand70swereatimewhereournationgrewupandbecamealittlelessnave
andthepeopleandourleaderslearnedthattheyhadtosharetheAmericanDreamwith
everybody.Thisincludedthepeopleoftherealsilentmajority,andtheminorities.TheAfrican
Americans,theLatinosandthewomenofthiserawerefightingforequalityinasocietythat
boastedofequalityforall.Italsobecameevidentthattherolling,green,newlandwithlimitless
possibilitieshadinfactreacheditslimit.TheAmericanpeoplewereusingupresourcesfaster
thanever,sparkingtheenvironmentalmovement.Allofthesemovementssightedchangesthat
neededtobemade,andthethingsthatwereachievedinthistimeshowthatifenoughpeople
bandtogetherforacause,Washingtonwillrespond.Washingtonsresponseisanotherimportant
topicoftheera,thepresidentsofthistime,DwightDEisenhower,JohnFKennedy,LyndonB
JohnsonandRichardMNixonshowtheeffectthataleadersdecisionscanhaveonthenation,
whetherthosedecisionsarepositiveornegativecanchangethelivesofpeopledrastically.We
canlearnfromthisthatweneedtoelectleadersthatcanmakepositivechange.Anotherthing
thataffectedthistimeistheVietnamwar,andthelackofcandorfromsomeofourleadersin
regardstoit,becauseofthislackofcommunicationandadevastatingloss,Americanowhasa
distrustforitsgoverningpowersandanexpectationofextremetransparencytowinthattrust
back.TheAmericanpeopleweredemandingtruthandchangeinmorewaysthanone.

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Themovementsofthetimewereapushforequalitylongoverdue.TheAfricanAmerican
civilrightsmovementwasonefightingfordesegregationandvotingrights.Inordertoachieve
this,theyusedmainlynonviolenttacticssoastonotdemonizethemselvesorpaintthemselvesas
instigators.Somenotabletacticsusedweresitinsatlunchcounters,todesegregaterestaurants.
TherewerefourstudentsfromGreensboro,NorthCarolinathatareknownforthestartofthis
partofthemovementandencouragedthenonviolenttacticsused.Thiscontinuedwithanother
issueregardingtheinequalitybetweentheracesintheUnitedStates,thesegregationofbusstop
intheSouth.TheFreedomRidesof1961weredrivenbytheCongressforRacialEquality,that
alongwiththeboycottofthepublictransportationsystem,whichRosaParkswasthefaceof,
helpedputanendtothesegregationofthetransportationsystem.MalcomX,ablackmuslim,
alongwithMartinLutherKingJrwasanintegralpartofthemovement,althoughhisapproach
wasmoreradicalandmilitant.Whileheuseddifferenttactics,hegotthejobdone,andinhis
BallotsorBulletsspeechhesaidforvotingrights,Whetheryou'reeducatedorilliterate,
whetheryouliveontheboulevardorinthealley,you'regoingtocatchhelljustlikeIam.We're
allinthesameboatandweallaregoingtocatchthesamehellfromthesameman.Hejust
happenstobeawhiteman.Allofushavesufferedhere,inthiscountry,politicaloppressionat
thehandsofthewhiteman,economicexploitationatthehandsofthewhiteman,andsocial
degradationatthehandsofthewhiteman.(X)
Thisspeechfocusedontheemotionsoftheblackpeopletowardstheirtreatmentanddrewon
thatandencouragedthemtovotetochangethesysteminwhichtheylived.Thismovementwas
helpedbyPresidentJohnson,followingupontheinitiativesstartedbyPresidentKennedy.
(Delano)

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Changingthewayoneliveswasimportantforallofthegroupsundergoingchange,but
wasmostneededinthecaseoftheLatinos,who,asmigrantfarmworkersatthetime,werestill
livingthelivesofindenturedservantsorevenslaves.Thepersonwhodrewattentiontothis
injusticewasCesarChavez,amigrantfarmworkerhimselfwhostartedanationalboycotton
tablegrapesandthelaborthatproducedthem,untiltheworkerswerepromisedbettertreatment.
Thismovementwassparkedbythefactthatthesepeoplehadtobackbreakinglaborandthengo
toahousethat25%ofthetimewouldnothaverunningwater,andwheretheonlytoiletswere
pitsintheground.Theboycottwasnottheonlyprotesttotheseconditions,CesarChavezalso
followedtheteachingsofGandhiandDrKingwithfasts,going25dayswithoutfoodorwater
andlosing35pounds,andmarchinglikeDrKingdidinSelma.Thismovementwasnot
supportedbyanyPresident,andstillneedstobeaddressedtoday,asmostoftheseissuesdo.
Theissuesofwomenwerealsoaddressedinthistimeperiod.Thewomenssuffrage
movementandtherighttoprivacyissuesofabortionandbirthcontrolwereaddressedinthe19th
Amendment,RoevWadeandtherulingsoftheliberalWarrenCourtinthe1962to1965caseof
GriswoldvConnecticut.Notonlywererightstoprivacywhenitcomestothebodiesofwomen
andtheirrightstovoteaddressed,butalsotheirplaceinschoolswasaffirmedbytheirrightto
playsportsandreceiveequalfundingtotheirprogramsthroughTitleNine.Thiswashelpedby
PresidentKennedyandtheCommissionontheStudyofWomen,andfollowedonwith
EducationAmendmentsof1972thatexcludedthediscriminationonthebasisofsexforany
educationalprogramoractivitythatreceivesfederalfinancialassistance.
Thepeopleofthe1960sand1970sbecameskepticalofthegovernmentbecauseofthe
VietnamWar.Thelossofsomanypeople(58,132)andforthegovernmenttolieaboutthestatus

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ofthewaritself,tellingthemthattheAmericanpeoplewerewinningandfloodingtheir
televisionsandradiosandmovieswithpropagandawasshocking.Anditdidnotwork.The
Vietnamwarwasthefirsttelevisedwarwherethepeoplecouldfirstseetheirsoldierswere
losinggroundduringtheTetOffensive,onTet,theVietnameseNewYear.Althoughitwasa
victoryfortheAmericans,itwasanexpositionofthefactthattheUScouldnotwinthewar.The
Americansweretoldtobelievesomethingthattheydidnotbelieveandthatthegovernment
itselfdidn'tevenbelieve,asrevealedbyDanielEllsbergandthePentagonPapers.Laosand
CambodiawerebeingpepperedwithbombsbyNixonwithoutCongressionalapproval,aclear
misuseofthepowersgiventohimbytheTonkinResolution,andSouthVietnamfellto
communismrightafterVietnamizationwascompleted.Nixonclearlydidnotlearnhowabusing
powercanaffectonespresidency,becauseheviolatedthetrustoftheAmericanpeopleagain,
extendingpasthisreachaspresidentduringtheWatergateScandal.VietnamandtheWatergate
ScandalarethereasonswhyAmericahastrustissueswiththegovernmentbecausebothstem
fromanoverreachinpowerbythegovernmentandanattempttocoveritup.Asofnow,the
peopleexpectnothinglessthantotaltransparencyortheywillbecomewildlysuspicious.***
coughcough,EMAILGATE***
Thiseraisaneraofchange,andareminderofthechangesthatstillneedtobemade.
Duringthe60sandthe70stheUSsawariseinrecognitionandrightsforminorities,helped
alongbymovementsandthefederalgovernment'sresponsetothosemovements.Whatcanbe
learnedfromthiseraistocontinuethatchangeandbuildonitbecauseAfricanAmericans,
Latinosandwomenallarestillfacingatleastsomeoftheproblemsthatwerebeingaddressed

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then.Continuetochangeandcontinuetogrownotonlyinwhatisdoneandwhatissaidbyall,
thegovernmentincluded.

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WorksCited
DelanoGrapeStrike.Sacramento,CA:SenateoftheStateofCalifornia,1967.Web.
X,Malcolm."BallotsorBullets."N.p.,n.d.Web.