Importance of 1963 and 1964 in the History of the US Essay

Importance of 1963 and 1964 in the History of the US - Essay Example 1963 was a year that was characterized by civil rights demonstrations and grand civil unrest. The national outrage was fuelled by wide media coverage of police brutality and actions against African-Americans in Birmingham, Alabama. The police were using fire hoses and canines against protestors, many of whom were very young. The riots in Birmingham, Alabama on the 11th of May 1963, where bombing occurred, compelled President John F Kennedy to release troops who gravely harassed the protestors. On the 19th of June the same year, the president forwarded an all-inclusive Civil Rights bill to the Congress for consideration. The massive support for this pending bill is what led to the March on Washington on the 28th of August, probably the largest mass action that the nation’s capital has ever witnessed. It was attended by more than three hundred thousand people, organized by Martin Luther King, Jr. alongside other activists. The demands stated during the demonstration paved the wa y for the meaningful legislation of civil rights. In addition, the matching led to the elimination of segregation based on race in public schools, the safeguarding of protestors against police brutality, the passage of a law forbidding racial prejudice in the public and private sectors and finally a program that provided jobs equally to both the blacks and whites. All these featured in the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which was passed after the assassination of President John F Kennedy and are still functional to date.