The 1960s
The 1960s, with the Camelot Kennedy administration and Lyndon Johnson's Great Society, was a decade in which many cultural changes took place. The United States itself was amidst the disheartening Cold War and the heartbreaking assassination of President Kennedy. During the period, feminism was revived. The Civil Rights Movement brought change to African Americans with their pursuit for Black Power. Other minorities such as Hispanic Americans and Native Americans organized unions or militant groups to protest for their rights in economic and political issues. Thus, two of the most profound cultural changes were the further development of gender roles, and the emphasis on race relations. The role of women in society changed dramatically in the 1960s. The Equal Pay Act of 1963 required employers to pay women the same as men for the same work, and the Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 prohibited discrimination in employment on th
As a result, more women had the opportunity to work rather than maintaining their traditional rolls as nurtures and housewives. FDA approved the sale of birth control pills, which gave women more sexual freedom and the opportunity to make their own decisions about their bodies. Betty Friedan was able to reach thousands of women when she formed NOW. As a result, more blacks voted to help win elections for African American officials and reform laws that would benefit them. Black leaders were emerging as effective agents of change. In addition, women gained reproductive rights. With changes such as reapportionment, more candidates of the minorities were elected. While the evolution of gender rolls took place, influence and importance of race relations also brought cultural change. Changes in racial relations took place among African Americans as well as other minorities. In addition, the 1965 Voting Rights Act suspended literacy tests and guaranteed the right for black citizens to vote. College students performed the strategy of nonviolence by performing sit-ins in restaurant lunch counters until the owners agreed to serve food to the colored students. The militant groups demonstrated and focused the nation's attention on the deplorable living conditions of Native Americans. In some border towns, Hispanic American voters outnumbered other voters two to one, but few Hispanic American candidates were in the office. The freedom riders showed proof of southern racism by attempting to travel through the south using only public transportations.
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