It is theorized that as an object approaches the speed of light, the object gradually slows down in its approach. Similarly, as society approaches its ideals for how it should conduct itself, the rate of its approach toward this final, intangible plateau decreases. Throughout the history of the United States, debates and wars have been waged on the subject of equality. The great leaps and bounds toward equality including but not limited to the Emancipation Proclamation, Suffrage amendments, Brown V Board, and the Civil Rights and Voting Rights Acts have collectively ended institutionalized oppression, but have left long lasting prejudice untouched.
The Civil Rights movement was a product of its time, from the origin of the United States up until now to a lesser degree, institutions oppressed peoples through laws. The government supported the exclusion of certain peoples from the privileges of being an American citizen, such privileges included being able to vote, sit and eat where you want, and even go to school where you’d like. Luckily, through the suffrage and civil rights movements, these laws were overridden by new amendments to the constitution and bills passed. While the state and federal governments no longer maintained the position that citizens should be excluded, these prejudices continued throughout society, hidden from plain view.
Laws are a product of human sentiment, they are not given to us by a higher being; we create them. Due to this fact that laws are birthed from human opinion, when Civil Rights legislation changed the policies of this country it left the prejudices of various peoples across the nation intact. We have been and are still in a time where it is increasingly difficult to pinpoint words and actions of prejudice, actions are no longer black and white. Instead, there is more room for a grey middle ground that spurs prolonged debate. This pattern of action and accusation will continue until prejudice is purged from our society.
As new generations come into society, they bring with it a new way of thinking which when combined with the phasing out of old ideas, changes the course and values in the United States. This is how the unflattering tendency of prejudice will finally be removed or at least reduced to a point of minuscule influence in our nation. We are currently moving in this direction at a decreasing rate. Most of the major strides toward a society that treats all of its citizens equally have already been made. We must now wait for our children, and our children’s children to make that final step.
