1、Racial Discrimination,For hundreds of years, Africans were taken from their homes to be slaves in the New World. Even George Washington and Thomas Jefferson had slaves. The phrase “all men are created equal“ didnt apply to blacks in their day. The end of the Civil War finally brought freedom to the
2、slaves in 1865, but blacks still had a lower position in society. Blacks and whites went to different schools, ate at different restaurants, even drank from different water fountains,KuKluxKlan is the name of three distinct past and present far-right organizations in the United StatesExtremist react
3、ionary currents such as white supremacy, white nationalism and anti-immigration.,In 1963, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., expressed his vision in the famous speech, “I Have a Dream.“ The dream-rooted in the American Dream wasnt really new.However, the coming together of different races created some tens
4、ions. The early Americans (except for the native “Indians“) were almost all white Europeans. As more immigrants arrived, European groups fit into society easily. Others found it more difficult. In 1955, Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat on a bus for a white man. Martin Luther King Jr. encourage
5、d black people to use nonviolent means to achieve their goals of equal treatment. Finally, Congress passed the Civil Rights Act of 1964 to stop discrimination in all public places.,Angel and Devil?,In spite of the gains of the Civil Rights Movement, racial problems still exist. Tensions sometimes er
6、upt in violence. Moreover, blacks and whites are not the only racial groups struggling to get along. Multicultural America has numerous minority groups that argue for equal treatment. Some contend that current immigration laws unfairly discriminate against certain racial groups. Even so, in the past
7、 40 years, race relations in America have greatly improved. Minority groups now have equal opportunities in many areas of education, employment and housing. Interracial marriages are becoming more accepted. Children of different races-and their parents-are learning to play together and work together. Maybe Dr. Kings dream will come true after all.,
