40 Years After Civil Rights Act, We Haven't Crossed Finish Line

From the July 1, 2004 edition of USA Today.

The 40th anniversary of the signing of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 is Friday, just two days short of Independence Day. The timing is auspicious because we've come up short of full equality in America. The act barred unequal application of voter-registration requirements, outlawed discrimination in public accommodations and forbid employment discrimination. The past 40 years have produced progress, but discrimination and bias persist.

If the struggle for equality were a marathon, we would be running the last mile. Do we have enough strength to finish the race and claim the prize? Do we, as a nation, have the determination to propel us forward, or will we collapse from exhaustion?

The Civil Rights Act was not so much a call for equality, but a result of a grassroots movement that swept America, taking hold in communities and demanding change. Protests over a decade illustrated broad support for the legislation. The movement steamrolled vociferous opponents and led to the bill's passage in Congress.

But race is not a key issue for Americans today.

In part because of the attention devoted to the economy, Iraq, gay rights, health care and numerous other issues, addressing the remaining racial disparities in America is not a high national priority.

Decades of progress

Certainly, things have improved since 1964:

• While civil rights polarized America in the 1960s, 81% of Americans now say the movement was "extremely" or "very important."
  
  
• Most Americans say they live in mixed communities.
  
  
• In 1958, an overwhelming 94% said they opposed interracial marriage; in 2003, 73% said they approved of it.
  
  
• Nine in 10 people now say they would vote for a black presidential candidate.
  
  
• In a 2003 survey, 70% of Americans said the quality of life for blacks has improved during the past 10 years.

But have we become a colorblind society? No. Ask any person of color who has felt disenfranchised in an election; anyone who has been directed to "minority neighborhoods" in the search for a home; anyone who has been trailed through a retail establishment or pulled over by the police for "driving while black." Real-world experience tells us we have more to do.

Views on discrimination

It is no surprise that blacks and Hispanics are more likely to perceive discrimination in the workplace, education and health care. Blacks are also more skeptical about the police and justice system. Take it as a glass half full or half empty, but in a January poll, 53% of blacks said they have not been discriminated against in the past five years. Though it is tragic that nearly half have been discriminated against, the numbers are better than they would have been in 1964.

Is racial discrimination a major problem or not? Depends on whom you ask. In the workplace, 54% of blacks, 31% of Hispanics and 17% of whites say it is. In education, 51% of blacks, 34% of Hispanics and 22% of whites say it is a major problem. In health care, 41% of blacks, 25% of Hispanics and 16% of whites say it is.

A fair amount of column inches, air time and political speeches will take note of the anniversary of the Civil Rights Act. But is anyone proposing concrete actions to address remaining discrimination? Are Americans (of any race or ethnicity) demanding such action?

We're at the final mile of that marathon, and we must muster the strength to finish the race and claim victory on civil rights. If we cannot find the fortitude to move forward, let's be honest about it and acknowledge that this is where the race ends.