The victory of Barack Obama harks back to the victory of Rosa Parks and the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s. It took nearly half a century before the Civil Rights Act is actually validated. Nearly 50 years ago, African-Americans were not allowed to vote. Today, an African-American garnered the majority of votes of women, Hispanics, and even white Americans. The election of a black leader in oftentimes racist America is an indication that times have changed. Either that or Americans are sick and tired of old ways that have cost them heavy taxpayers’ money. Obama becomes an icon of the phenomenon called ‘once-in-a-lifetime.’ Institutionalized, even state-sponsored, racism has seen its last. Or has it?

The American Civil Rights Movement (1955–1968) refers to the reform movement in the United States that was aimed to abolish racial discrimination against African-Americans and restore suffrage in the Southern states. In its entirety, it has come to mean upholding racial dignity, economic and political self-sufficiency of black Americans, and their freedom from oppression by the white Americans.

The Bureau of International Information Programs of the U.S. Department of State states that the 1964 Civil Rights Act is a turning point in U.S. history because it represents Americans’ collective decision to use federal power in helping the civil rights struggle. The “‘64 Act” was a product of majority consensus and powerful political coalitions. This was also the pivotal factor that paved the way for the 1965 Voting Rights Act. These ended the legacy of segregation and slavery in the US. From then on, America was on its way to becoming a truly just society.

Racism is a malaise of society. It takes tremendous institutional effort to repel it. With the election of the first black president, this can be a time of true equality, civil rights, and change. The entire American hope, especially now when the US is in deep turmoil, is hedged on the black victory.

Image

Via IBN Live