4 ms·
> We’re talking about an era in the US where white people were literally in control of everything, nobody else could have done this. It's also the era that cre
by bnralt 4y ago
> We’re talking about an era in the US where white people were literally in control of everything, nobody else could have done this.
It's also the era that created the Civil Rights Act, the Voting Rights Act, Medicare, Medicaid and the War on Poverty. You're correct that political leadership in the United States was almost entirely white at the time. But the fact that they passed many substantial pieces of legislation helping other groups shows that people are more decent than the "race war" narrative that gets pushed a lot these days.
- syzarian 4y agoI contend that the logic of segregation became unsustainable legally, morally, and in the social conscience of a large portion of the public. With the demonstrations, riots, etc. it became necessary to make the appropriate legal adjustments. However, whites largely weren’t comfortable with the sudden requirement to desegregate and white flight from cities and the other things I mentioned in my original comment occurred. From my perspective, what occurred is that people wanted desegregation in principle but not in their particular social circles. They didn’t want large numbers of black students in their child’s school for instance.
- sillystuff 4y agoIt was expedient; decency was unnecessary to explain their actions. These laws were passed in an environment of both great social upheaval domestically, and the cold war internationally. Both contributed. The Soviet Union kept pointing out US race relations whenever the US claimed to be for freedom. The hypocrisy of the US could not be ignored by the predominantly white christian leaders who enacted these laws while expecting to have any credibility abroad. And, now that the cold war is over, the predominantly white christian political right is attempting to dismantle every single one of these acts and more.