Argumentative Essay: The Civil Rights Act

The Civil Rights act was passed on June 19, 1964. With over 736 hours of debate and 2,890 pages of Congressional record. It is safe to say that this bill, especially for its time was causing a lot of (think of good word here). Although John F. Kennedy was very vocal on equality, it was Lyndon B. Johnson’s words and signing of the bill that really got the wheels moving. Going on to television and stating, “We believe that all men are created equal, yet many are denied equal treatment. We believe that all men have certain unalienable rights, yet many Americans do not enjoy those rights… The reason are deeply imbedded in history and tradition and the nature of man. We can understand without rancor or hatred how this all happened. But it cannot continue.” (Social
At the time Martin Luther King was also taking the civil rights movement by storm. In terms of who pushed for this bill, it was a mix as Johnson was trying to appease many (not only African Americans) go for the bill as well. “While still making use of his capacity to convey privately subtle differences tone with the liberal Democrats, the black, the Southerners, and the Republicans, Johnson openly proclaimed a unifying consistent purpose…” (Kearns 1976). The outcome of this bill even today still has its flaws, however it completely changed what was the “norm” in society at the time. It also forced those unwilling to get with the times. There has and there always will be opposition but for the most part Lyndon B. Johnson did get the dream he wanted. “This legislation has brought broad, positive change and progress to American society” (Days III 2004). The decision and outcome of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, was overall a positive one, compared to the injustice and discrimination minorities faced in earlier years, as the USA is now one of the most culturally and racially diverse