Don’t take privileges bestowed by Civil Rights Act for granted

By LINDA F. KINCAID

The Civil Rights Act of 1964 was one of the strongest civil rights bills in U.S. history. We celebrate this landmark decision made 50 years ago. Civil rights for blacks became a major national political issue in the 1950s.

The first federal civil rights law was enacted in 1957.

During the 1960s, civil unrest climaxed and President John F. Kennedy was compelled to address the issues. He threatened to use federal force and managed to win a partial desegregation of public accommodations and public schools in Alabama.

President Kennedy, prior to his assassination in 1963, asked Congress for legislation to desegregate public facilities and to give the Justice Department authority to enforce the Supreme Court ruling on school desegregation.

After President Kennedy’s death, Lyndon B. Johnson used his political capital to breathe new life into civil rights legislation, and on July 2, 1964, the Civil Rights Act was signed into law.

It translated into law most of the goals of the early civil rights movement. It banned discrimination on the basis of race, religion, national origin, or sex by employers. The bill allowed federal agencies to adopt guidelines banning discrimination in programs receiving federal funds and stopping the flow of federal dollars when school districts failed to comply.

Congress also prohibited discrimination by restaurants, hotels, motels, gas stations, theatres, stadiums, concert halls, and other places of entertainment.

To enforce the law, Congress created the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.

Women benefited from its passage because the court held that sexual harassment was sexual discrimination and was prohibited under the act. The civil rights movement had achieved its greatest victory. During the Johnson tenure in the White House, he supported racial integration and signed into law the 1965 Voting Rights Act.

As I reflect on this significant piece of legislation, I think about how it is applicable to me in the 21st century and generations to come. We must remain vigilant, as many of the rights we enjoy are in peril.

President Obama said it best in his “A More Perfect Union” speech, which challenges us “to continue the long march of those who came before us, a march for a more just, more equal, more free, more caring and more prosperous America.”

This is not intended to evoke guilt or play on dark times in our history but rather to pause, reflect, and vow not to take the privileges granted by the Civil Rights Act for granted; nor should we forget the blood, sweat, and tears shed to make it possible.

Too, let us remember those who died so valiantly for the cause, also to express gratitude to the 36th president of the United States, Lyndon B Johnson for his fortitude.


Ms. Kincaid is a Kingsport resident and lives in Riverview

No African Americans were hired

I was glad to hear Rep. Phil Roe’s comments after the president’s speech to the nation. Rep. Roe stated that 35 percent of young African Americans are without work.

Recently, the city of Kingsport was praising how well the aquatic center is doing, which is great. But of the 100 or so people hired, not one of them is an African American.

I know there were some young African Americans that applied for jobs at the aquatic center.

You would think that with Eastman Chemical Co. building its world headquarters here that Kingsport would do a better job of diversity in its hiring practices.


Douglas Releford Kingsport

Disparities still loom large 50 years after iconic march

This guest editorial came from the Kingsport Times-News. Editor’s note: Letters published as guest editorials may not necessarily reflect the opinion of the newspaper. The following is from Linda Kincaid of Kingsport.


Today is the 50th anniversary of the 1963 March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, one of the signature movements of American history.

African Americans were instrumental in making mass marches on Washington a potent and lasting tradition in 20th century American political culture. Black Americans legitimized the Washington Mall as the people’s property, as well as underscored the importance of economic justice to the freedom struggle.

The organizers were unified in their demands for a passage of meaningful civil rights laws. They rallied the crowd of over 250,000 with speeches. There was no evidence of civil disorder despite the fact President Kennedy sent in 4,000 troops and paratroopers.

There were two noticeable speeches that day. One was given by John Lewis, now representing Georgia in the U.S. House and formerly the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee leader. His speech called for a revolution.

The second was delivered by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. The speech was initially restrained. Dr. King, sensing the crowd’s restlessness, introduced the dream motif, intermingling lines from earlier speeches: “I say to you today, my friends, so even though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow, I still have a dream.”

He finished on a note of optimism and hope, for the which the speech is known: “When we allow freedom to ring, when we let it ring from every village, from every hamlet, from every state and every city, we will be able to speed up that day when all of God’s children, black men and white men, Jews and Gentiles, Protestants and Catholics, will be able to join hands and sing in the words of the old Negro spiritual, free at last, thank God Almighty we are free at last.”

Despite the passing of civil rights legislation in l964 and l965, economic and social conditions remained unchanged for most African Americans. Assimilation into mainstream society has been costly. African Americans have suffered through indignities and atrocities from the 19th century through nearly three generations of the 20th century.

On the positive, for 50 years African Americans have enjoyed some freedoms due to laws being passed that have unlocked the doors of segregation. However, on the negative, the social and economic fabric hasn’t changed much in 50 years for the average African American.

The disparities loom large: for some, secondary and higher education needs remain unattainable; for some, unemployment remains high; for some, homeownership is a mirage; for some, voter rights are being denied; for some, there are high rates of incarceration and unlawful arrest; and for some, entrepreneurship is elusive.

Disparities remain but I believe there are initiatives that need to be addressed at the national and local levels.

Here are some possibilities to consider for implementation to ensure economic justice and freedom: offer study groups-tutoring to improve ACT scores; identify-notify potential participants of the pending changes to GED requirements before Dec 2013; encourage-identify individuals eligible for manufacturing-technology classes; teach sensitivity classes to local law enforcement officers; encourage judges to offer sentences of mandatory treatment-counseling for first time-low crime alcohol and drug offenders; and encourage-solicit fair-minded individuals to run for public offices.

Cowardly racism needs to be defeated

Re. Mr. Releford’s letter, fortunately the KKK has always been a minority and may they become more so.

I’m concerned about the less extreme and unorganized old Southern racism that hides under tea party and mainline Republican ideology to condemn President Obama just because he’s half African black.

In the ’60s, these people would have voted Democratic. Such cowardly racism like that of the KKK needs to be defeated in every public forum, Nov. 6 especially.

America deserves better than bigoted intolerance and coldhearted indifference to the poor and true middle class.


C.P. Kestner
Kingsport

Writing about diversity sparks anonymous letters

Just like Barbara Brown, I too received some anonymous letters filled with hate after I wrote a letter to the editor about diversity in Kingsport. None of the letters were signed, and all the postmarks were not from this area. They were telling me that the KKK was still around, and if I knew what was good for me, to keep quiet.

And on Bill Bovender’s column, I could not believe he was telling the miners that the fault of the coal shutdown was the president’s, when in the next few days the Times-News reported that the owners of the coal mines were telling their own people that they had a stockpile, and needed to work it down.

Most Americans should have studied their local history and government lessons and know that the president cannot pass laws. It’s up to Congress.

So if you want something done, get Mr. Roe to do something instead of faulting our president.


Douglas S. Releford
Kingsport

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From Douglass Releford

Haven't we seen this before?

This "Letter to the Editor" was published on Sunday, August 4, 2012 by the Kingsport Times-News:


Minority using threats to bully majority

Aside from the question of same-sex marriage, it seems to me that a minority group of people are saying "You shall agree with us, or we will take away your livelihood." Isn't that how Adolf Hitler got started?

(Name withheld by Editor
Kingsport


Read this very closely.
Weren't the majority of white Americans, saying the same thing during the 1950's and 60's about the struggle of African-Americans boycotting white businesses in the South, while struggling for equality?

Just sayin'


Editor