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1970s Women's Rights Movement

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During the 1970s, the fight for equality was everywhere. Women, African Americans, gays, lesbians, Native Americans and many more groups who considered themselves “singled out” fought a enormous battle that at the time,a battle that often seemed like it would never end. In fact, some will argue the fact that we are still fighting for equality and rights for all people, today.

The “feminist movement” as it was often referred to as, began in the 1960s and drug into the early 1970s. As a woman during this time, you were expected to all lead the same life, get married in your early 20s, have a few babies right away, then take care of cleaning and caring for the children for the rest of eternity. That preceding sentence, I bet has already …show more content…
Mothers wanted better and more equal lives for their daughters. Women were rarely allowed to be involved in the workforce, and when they were, they would often be nurses or teachers. According to Tavaana.org, only 38% of women had a job. A woman would also receive less pay and would routinely get fired if the employer had any suspicions of them being pregnant. This movement was not necessarily led by one specific person or group, every woman agreed and joined in with the fight. In 1972, Congress approved the ERA (Equal Rights Amendment) that states: “Equality of rights under the law shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any state on account of …show more content…
is widely known for his “I Have A Dream” speech. He was the African American’s spokesman for equality and racism. In his speech he states “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal.” The preceding sentence has been a major part of history ever since the speech was given in August of 1963. The speech gave African Americans hope in fighting for equal rights among different races. They saw Martin Luther King Jr. as someone who could truly change the worlds views on racism and segregation. Rosa Parks for example, was famously known for refusing to give up her seat on a bus to a white man. Both Parks and King were seen as leaders in the civil rights movement. All it took were two people to stand up for what they believed in, and soon others began to join in.

In addition to King’s and Park’s initial actions, many supporters of African American rights stood up for their beliefs as well. Hundreds of people participated in the 381-day bus boycott which was put together by King. Members of this boycott declined use of buses for a total of 381 days in a row. This was brought upon because of the Rosa Parks incident where she refused to give up her seat for a white man. The boycott was meant to bring awareness to the subject of equal rights between all races and show the support of others who agreed with

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