The United States of America is a nation built on one central idea: freedom. Possessing such rights, ranging from speech to bearing arms, are the fundamental principles that built this country. Although this was intended to defend the citizens from an overbearing government, this idea also protects those who abuse the privilege of freedom. Through acts of malice and discrimination, the idea of freedom has been challenged on many fronts. During the last half of the 20^th century, America underwent a culture shock that addressed these issues of discrimination concerning race and sex. The need to end hateful acts has been a difficult struggle due to the perpetrator’s sheltering themselves behind America’s founding ideal of freedom. Resulting in the Civil Rights movement during the sixties and the modern movement for gays and lesbians, America has begun to protect those who truly adhere to the true meaning of freedom. However, those who seek to initiate their own agenda have made the struggle for equality very difficult. Revealing the dynamic nature of this issue has brought forth some events that have prolonged the resolution process. Nonetheless, the dream of freedom for all is witnessed through the continuous dedication of Americans to strive for the protection of America’s central idea from those who seek to abuse it without sacrificing the integrity of freedom.

During the late 50s and the 60s, America was undergoing a cultural makeover. Realizing the negative prospects to freedom for all through racism and misogyny, the nation was overwhelmed. These ideas had existed since the inception of the country, but the discriminating connotations of such ideas and the cruel actions they perpetrated had not been fully realized. America retaliated with a call to arms for social equality. In the largest movement of the time, the Civil Rights movement sought to bring racial equality to America, namely the South. In a society that had fostered racism as a way of life for centuries, the task proved difficult. Transforming the culture proved to be a very difficult task. One of the first steps taken toward bridging the divide came with the Supreme Court Decision of Brown v. Board of Education Kansas, where the court ruled that black students are afforded the right for equal opportunities in public schools. The evolution of this movement would soon meet a grander scale in the form of the Million Man March on Washington, D.C. in 1963. Led by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. an overwhelming body of people listened to King speak of an equal society. This hope would progress through the sixties until the government finally gained the muscle to desegregate schools with the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Slowly but surely, the South and America was transforming its idea of society to include African Americans.

Another movement of the time concerned the issue of free speech. This idea is identified as one of the most essential aspects of America. Reinforced in the Bill of Rights as the 1^st Amendment, this idea was aimed to protect free thought for all and prevent the government from controlling too directly the lives of its citizens. In one of the most infamous examples of politicians attempting to dictate the image perceived in public, the Supreme Court ruling New York Times v. Sullivan ruled in favor of the paper behind the idea of free speech. This monumental decision gave weight to the growing idea of freedom in the press by defending the citizen rather than the government. It opened new doors for free wheeling criticism of the public actions and the private lies of members of the government. With great strides being made in the racial arena and in the realm of national publications, the idea of equality was beginning to shape in America. However, there were those who presented challenges to this process with negative responses to negative situations.

In the time of King and the Civil Rights movement, there was a not so peaceful element fighting for the same equality in more violent ways. The most notable organization of this time period was the Black Panthers, who organized under the separatist ideals being preached by the likes of Malcom X. This aggressive reaction, witnessed in their national anthem, to abide by the principle of quid pro quo: a hostile response to a hostile situation, but the ultimate consequences of such actions resulted in more violence and a longer struggle for equality. Whereas King was fighting for equality in a peaceful manner, Malcom X and the Black Panthers sought to defend themselves by making the same actions that their aggressors forced upon them. Similar ideas are witnessed in the Guerilla Girls cartoon, which characterizes the modern depiction of Black history month with another trite remark about the month commemorating women. Acts like these aid in the substance of the argument presented by the Virginia Commission on Constitutional Government who challenged the validity of a law concerning discrimination. Commenting on the validity of such well-intentioned acts in terms of the law was one of the arguments for these separatist groups, who felt they weren’t being protected so they needed to protect themselves.

The issue of discrimination has new modern connotations that involve similar issues and difficulties in resolving such dilemmas. Evolving into a discussion of gays and lesbians, the modern challenges seem to address the same underlying themes of the struggles for equality in the past. Shifting the focus from race to sex still presents the same challenges. However, the political sensitivity of the issues is still being handled on the highest of levels. In Bush’s speech on this issue, he took a firm stance against such marriages. Over this long struggle for equality in America, the fight to preserve the integrity of freedom remains the focus for Americans in their pursuit to fulfill the dream of freedom for all without condoning acts by those who hide behind it. As the times change, it is becoming more apparent that the approach to solving these dilemmas is by evolving with the transforming problems of discrimination, a task that will make continue to make equality a struggle.

Throughout the history of the United States there has been an on-going struggle for equality between everyone living in the United States.  However this struggle was especially intense between the years of 1954 and 2004, when African Americans, illegal immigrants, women, and now even gays and lesbians realized that they could fight to become equal.  However not all of the fighting was done by the people being discriminated against themselves; usually it was a politician who must have believed that these people did in fact deserve to be equal.  Although there were many that did support the fight for equality, there were always people who disagreed and protested against their struggle. 

One of the most prominent struggles for equality involved the desire of African Americans to have the same rights as all other Americans.  After the Civil War African Americans became free: 

Five score years ago, a great American, in whose symbolic shadow we stand today, signed the Emancipation Proclamation. This momentous decree came as a great beacon light of hope to millions of slaves, who had been seared in the flames of withering injustice. It came as a joyous daybreak to end the long night of their captivity.  But 100 years later, the colored America is still not free. One hundred years later, the life of the colored American is still sadly crippled by the manacle of segregation and the chains of discrimination. (“I Have a Dream”, Martin Luther King Jr.).

However later in the 1890’s the Jim Crow Laws were put into action.  They were the “so-called ‘separate but equal’ doctrine announced by this Court in Plessy v. Fergson, 163 U.S. 537. Under that doctrine, equality of treatment is accorded when the races are provided substantially equal facilities, even though these facilities be separate…” (Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka, Kansas, Opinion-Warren section).  However the government did not carry through with this “separate but equal” policy was not right; the facilities of African Americans were far from equal to those of the white Americans.  Many believed that education should not be segregated.  Mr. Chief Justice Warren and the court during the trial of Brown v. Board of Education supported this thought, and declared that: 

“Segregation of white and colored children in public schools has a detrimental effect upon the colored children. The impact is greater when it has the sanction of the law, for the policy of separating the races is usually interpreted as denoting the inferiority of the Negro group. A sense of inferiority affects the motivation of a child to learn. Segregation with the sanction of law, therefore, has a tendency to [retard] the educational and mental development of Negro children and to deprive them of some of the benefits they would receive in a racial[ly] integrated school system.” (Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka, Kansas, Opinion-Warren section).

Warren was one of the many who were outside of the minority, but still continued to fight for their equality.  Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. fought for the equality of his people by conducting peaceful demonstrations and giving speeches trying to persuade people that African Americans did deserve the right of freedom by saying such statements as “this sweltering summer of the colored people's legitimate discontent will not pass until there is an invigorating autumn of freedom and equality” and “I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the context of their character.” (“I Have a Dream” speech, Dr. Luther King Jr.).  Other African Americans who fought directly for their equality were members of the Black Panther Party.  However they were not peaceful like Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.  Instead they were known to carry weapons with them.  The Black Panthers were still fighting for their equality.  In their National Anthem they say  “And, we sat and we talked; about freedom and things; and, he told me about what he dreamed.”

The government did attempt to bring equality between the blacks and whites.  They introduced the Civil Rights Bill.  However this bill was strongly opposed by the Virginia Commission on Constitutional Government.  They wrote in their pamphlet that:

 We believe this bill is a very bad bill. In our view, the means here proposed are the wrong means. The weapons the President would contrive against race prejudice are the wrong weapons. In the name of achieving certain "rights" for one group of citizens, this bill would impose some fateful compulsions on another group of citizens. The bill may be well-intentioned - we question no man's motivation in supporting it - but good intentions are not enough. In this area, we need good law. And the President's bill, in our view, is plain bad law.

 They did believe that segregation was not a moral way to live, but they felt that the Civil Rights Bill went against the American Constitution.  In the more present history other acts such as Black History Month at Women’s History Month sort of remind people of the segregation that occurred; if everyone were truly equal, a certain group would not have a month dedicated to them.  The guerrilla Girls, an art association at a college, had a question that addressed this topic.  “Q. If February is Black History Month and March is Women's History Month, what happens the rest of the year? A. Discrimination.” (from the Guerilla Girls Poster 1990). 

            An issue that from the recent history of America was whether or not illegal immigrants should be allowed to stay here and to be given certain rights that other Americans have.  There are people who want illegal immigrants to come to the United States because of their contribution to economy.  They provide very valuable labor for many businesses throughout the southwest, especially in farming communities.  Many also feel that they should not be here because they are illegal.  Californians in 1944 created Proposition 187 that was against illegal immigrants.  Some of its reasons for not allowing illegal immigrants are that they cause economic hardships and that they should be punished since they are committing a crime.  Many Americans protested against illegal immigrants, who most likely wanted to be treated equally.  They are still allowed into the country, but they are not granted with certain American rights, such as obtaining a driver’s license.  

            Women, similar to the African Americans, have had a very long struggle for equality with the members of the opposite sex.  Women in most of history were not treated the same as men were.  They did not have many rights such as the right to vote or to own property.  However throughout history they gradually gained these rights by protesting.  Recently on March 18, 2003 an amendment was finally added to the constitution that gave women and men equal rights. “SECTION 1. Equality of rights under the law shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of sex.” (Joint Resolution Equal Rights Amendment).  The fight of women to obtain equal rights was long, but it was definitely worthwhile.  It allows American women to have the same amount of rights as any man.

            Most recently a new minority has been fighting to obtain a certain right that they feel should be granted to them.  This is the right to marry whomever they fall in love with.  People who want to marry members of the same sex are fighting to be equal.  However most politicians do not agree with same sex marriages.  In the political cartoon entitled “Bush Supports Gay Marriage Ban” it shows Bush’s feeling that same sex marriages are not right.  However this struggle is not yet over, for people are still marrying people of the same sex.

            The struggle for equality is most likely not yet over.  Although African Americans and women have all been given equal rights, there were most likely be instances were they are discriminated against.  Also gays, lesbians, and illegal immigrants still have people fighting for their equality.  It seems that there will always be some sort of struggle for equality as long as there are people who have different views on the world.      

The struggle toward equality was nothing new in the country, but the 20^th century was the first time that it was so widely acknowledged. The civil rights movement, women’s liberation, and a number of causes were strongly being fought to obtain. The road achieving equality was not easy, and many questions arose that contributed and hindered the struggle for inequality.

The movement towards equality was trying to accomplish a balance between the people in the nation. The biggest movement was for racial equality. Segregation was not only largely accepted in the country, but largely supported, as well. Those that were fighting against it were questioning the morality of segregation, and also the validity of segregation. In “S.J. Res. 11” and “Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka, Kansas” segregation is opposed, because it went against the 14^th amendment of the Constitution. Under segregation there was a “separate but equal clause”. “Brown v. Board of Education” shows that, education in particular, was separate, but not equal, “...inequality was found in that specific benefits enjoyed by white students were denied to Negro students of the same educational qualifications.” It also concludes that the separate but equal law was outdated and “has no place in the field of public education.”

            The fight for equality was not limited to race, during this time. Women and people living alternative lifestyles were seeking protection under the law that was usually denied them. The Guerrilla Girls’ Pop Quiz poses the question, “If February is Black History Month and March is Women’s History Month what happens the rest of the year?”

the answer being “Discrimination”. The poster was in response to the celebration of blacks and women, but only two months out of the year. The comic by Ben Sargent, which portrays Bush as a member of First Continental Congress, involved in ratifying the Constitution. His contribution is to start the document by saying, “We he straight people.” This comic was a response to Bush’s support of gay marriage ban. In both of these examples it is evident that the struggle for equality may have changed some of the country’s social problems, but the struggle is not over.

            The struggle for equality, produced groups and leaders that were representatives of a movement or idea. This is apparent by the Guerrilla Girls, who are for women’s rights; and the notorious Black Panthers of the sixties and seventies who fought for black rights. The “Black Panther National Anthem”, clearly expresses the dissatisfaction with the current state of black in the country.

            “And, his full lips of night

            Spoke about our people’s plight

            And a feeling familiarly came around”

            While all of these documents clearly protest inequality, there were still counterparts. This is displayed in “Civil Rights and Legal Wrongs”. It questions the legality of the president putting civil rights into the constitution, as opposed to, allowing each state to set its own statutes addressing civil rights. “It would tend to destroy the States’ control of their own voting requirements.” The document argued that the by making civil rights a part of national law, the government would be giving itself too much power. It was not a question of what was right or wrong, but what was legal. The basic concern was protecting the balance of power in government.

            All of the documents display the questions and feelings about the struggle for equal rights. They all differ in their message and cause, but each one fights for equality in the country.