Civil rights progress from 1970s onwards
By the start of the 1970s, progress was being made.
In 1972, the United States Congress passed two laws - The Equal Employment Opportunity Act and the Equal Opportunity Act.
Together these laws were known as ‘affirmative action’. Affirmative action made it necessary for government agencies, state governments, local governments and public organisations to hire more African Americans.
Barrack Obama
Black Americans became more involved in local and national politics.
Jesse Jackson twice sought to gain the Democratic Presidential Nomination in the 1980s.
The position of US Secretary of State was occupied by two African Americans from 2001 until 2009, Colin Powell and then Condoleezza Rice.
Barrack Obama became the first black President of the USA in 2009.