Vicoties:

     The struggle of African Americans for Civil Rights have been going since the foundation  of  the United States. They have used many forms of protests and ways to achieve more rights, and to become equal in the eyes of the American society; but even though they have achieved much, there are still those that are suffering the effects of racism and that have not come out of a state of poverty.
    The first from of racial hate that African Americans felt was slavery. They  were oppressed by the chains of slavery for many years, but with the northern states victory in the Civil War changes came to the constitution  that gave African Americans more freedoms.  The 13th  amendment passed on December 6, 1865; made slavery and involuntary servitude illegal in the United States territories unless they were  form of punishment for crimes. Another post Civil war amendment was the 14th amendment passed on July 9, 1868; defined citizenship and ensured equal treatment for all persons born or naturalized in the United States. The last Post Civil War amendment to the constitution was the 15th amendment passed February 3, 1870; gave all male citizens of the United States the right to vote.
    With the end of the Civil War ended everything seemed to go well for African Americans, but after reconstruction a new form of oppression came. In the 1896 case of Plessy v. Ferguson made segregation legal along as it was equal. After the Plessy decision many Southern States created their own set of laws that enabled the progress of the African American community. The American society lived under this doctrine for almost a century; but after the 1954 case of Brown v. Board of eduction that made segregation unconstitutional because it was not equal many African American citizens and communities began a massive civil rights movements to end discrimination once and for all. African Americans struggle with segregation  was successful as the United Stated Congress began passing laws and amendments to the constitution giving them more Civil Rights. The Civil Rights Act of 1964;"Provides criminal penalties for discrimination in employment or voting and integrates most pubic facilities". The  24th amendment passed on January 23, 1964; :"The right of citizens of the United States to vote in any primary or other  election... shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or any State by reason of failure to pay any poll tax or other tax".  Voting Rights Act of 1965; "Banned literacy tests in counties where over half of eligible voters have been disenfranchised".
    Many changes have been made both in society as in the constitution. Legally African Americans are equal to the rest of society, but even today many live in poverty and are discriminated for their color. Many battles have been won but the journey has not ended and every day new obstacles are set in front of society, obstacles that have to be overcome everyday to become a fair and equal society.

links:

http://regentsprep.org/Regents/ushisgov/themes/reform/civilrights.htm

http://www.ushistory.org/documents/amendments.htm#amend13