PEOPLE OF COLOR

CIVIL RIGHTS: THEN AND NOW

Yiting Chi
 HISTORICAL BACKGROUND
Slavery ended as a result of the Civil War in 1865. However, African
Americans still faced racism everyday. Black people were segregated from
white people by law and private action in transportation, public spaces,
leisure facilities, jails, the military services, and schools in Northern and
Southern states since they were seen as second-class citizens by the
majority.
 HISTORICAL BACKGROUND
The railroad was the most significant industry for African Americans to work in
after the Civil War. After the war, Southern railroads were keen to employ black
labor because they paid them far less than white employees. Up until and
throughout the Civil War, thousands of African men who were still under slavery
worked on the railroad. Although slaves with skills in blacksmithing, masonry,
and carpentry also worked on the railways, it was against the law for black
people to hold skilled professional occupations like engineer.
 Has there been any progress?

There has been significant progress in eliminating racial prejudice.

Today, there are a lot of African-Americans in positions of authority. For
instance, 38% more African-Americans now than there were fifty years
ago graduate from college. Legally speaking, African-Americans are free
to reside anywhere they like. In comparison to back then, the US has
seen significant change.
 Has there been any progress?
Although real progress has
been made, at least some
discrimination still exists
now. Poverty is still too
prevalent among this group.
The current black poverty
rate of 21% is about three
times higher than the white
rate. There hasn't been much
of a change from the 32%
rate in 1968.
 LEADERS THEN
Martin Luther King Jr. Frederick Douglass Rosa Parks
 LEADERS NOW

Majora Carter Abisoye Ajayi-Akinfolarin Malala Yousafzai

 LEADERS NOW: MAJORA CARTER
● She is an environmental justice heroine.
● She has advocated for the need of more open spaces and greater access to high-quality
healthcare in underserved areas of the country.
● At the charities Green for All and Sustainable South Bronx, she has held executive
positions.
● She empowers low-income and minority communities in New York City.
● She co-founded StartUp Box, a social company fostering inclusive and diverse
involvement in the digital sector, in 2013.
 BRAC
● BRAC is the biggest international NGO in Bangladesh.
● BRAC seeks to reduce poverty and promote economic participation via different
programs.
● It addresses social issues and inequalities and enables people to escape poverty by
giving them the resources they need to engage in the market.
● It addresses social issues and inequalities and enables people to escape poverty by
giving them the resources they need to engage in the market.
● BRAC has so far been successful in developing a number of businesses, giving
elementary education to 400.000 children, and rescuing 86.975 Bangladeshi homes
from abject poverty.
 MY TAKEAWAY
I believe that the world has made undoubtedly progress. Even
though, discrimination against people of color still exists.
Therefore, it is important that we, as individuals, try to make the
world a better place so we can achieve equality someday. We can
listen and educate ourselves on the subject, report discriminatory
content online, raise awareness…
 Sources
Houston, Charles H., et al. “Brown v. Board at Fifty: ‘with an Even Hand’ a Century of Racial Segregation, 1849–1950.” Library of Congress, 13
Nov. 2004, https://www.loc.gov/exhibits/brown/brown-segregation.html.

Austin, Sharon. “How Black Americans' Lives Have–and Haven't–Changed since Dr. King's Death.” PBS, Public Broadcasting Service, 20
Jan. 2020, https://www.pbs.org/newshour/nation/how-black-americans-lives-have-and-havent-changed-since-dr-kings-death.

“50 Years after Civil Rights Act, Americans See Progress on Race.” CBS News, CBS Interactive, 1 July 2014,
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/50-years-after-civil-rights-act-americans-see-progress-on-race/.

History.com Editors. “Segregation in the United States.” History.com, A&E Television Networks, 28 Nov. 2018,
https://www.history.com/topics/black-history/segregation-united-states.

“9 Inspiring People Leading the Fight to End Extreme Poverty.” Global Citizen,
https://www.globalcitizen.org/en/content/anti-poverty-activists/.

Hasanagic, Ada. “25 Organizations Dedicated to Fight Poverty.” Human Rights Careers, 9 July 2020,
https://www.humanrightscareers.com/issues/organizations-dedicated-to-fight-poverty/.

BellaNaija.com. “2018 CNN Heroes: Abisoye Ajayi-Akinfolarin of Girlscoding Is Using Her Knowledge and Inspiration to Help Countless
Others.” BellaNaija, 10 Dec. 2018,
https://www.bellanaija.com/2018/12/2018-cnn-heroes-abisoye-ajayi-akinfolarin-of-girlscoding-is-using-her-knowledge-and-inspiration-t
o-help-countless-others/.

Video, Webinar. “Presentation Video on 3 Stories of Local Eco-Entrepreneurship from Majora -.” University Webinars, 9 Dec. 2013,
https://universitywebinars.org/presentation-video-on-3-stories-of-local-eco-entrepreneurship-from-majora-carter-at-ted/.