Sample Answer

First used in the United States Declaration of Independence, the phrase “…all men are created equal” clearly described the intention of our new country to be a land built on freedom; free of the prejudices constraining people of other nations. The United States, considered by many in the world as a sanctuary where differences converge and from where new ideas spring, requires an environment that accepts people from across an entire spectrum. Becoming that nation of acceptance has had a rocky journey and to this day, groups of people in this country continue to fight for equality, whether through institutionalized injustices or social injustices, despite what our Constitution prohibits. To a degree, the Civil Rights movement in our country is responsible for moving America closer to the ideal of equality for not just those of other races but for other movements including the fight for more equitable conditions for women and for the mentally and physically handicapped.

 

One of the first pivotal moments in U.S. history in its struggle for the civil rights of African-Americans was the decision made in Brown vs. Board of Education. In this case, the court decided that the idea of “separate but equal” is inherently unequal, thus ending Jim Crowe laws (Doc 5). Although law in America abolished the segregation of blacks and whites, a form of social segregation lingers. The civil rights movement may have changed laws and some attitudes, but the roots of racial prejudices run deep in our society.

As discussed in class, racial inequality effected many aspects of life in America including whom we ate next to in restaurants, sat next to on a public bus, or with whom we shared a restroom or even a drinking fountain. The housing market, as a further example, was not exempt from prejudice. Desirability of home locations and home values were effected by proximity to African-American or immigrant neighborhoods and schools. Housing was considerably cheaper and rated less desirable when locate