Discussion Question:

Over the long scope of the course, one of the central topics discussed has been the contentious history of race relations in the United States. In your essay, please briefly discuss the history of American race relations from post-WWII America through to the present. Touch on some of the major turning points, events, and court cases that help explain the history of race relations. In your answer, discuss where you think the current state of race relations in America stands, and whether you think the civil rights movement achieved the goals it set out to achieve after WWII.

Select and answer TWO out of the six questions presented below:

1. During the 1960s, the United States had become a more open, more tolerant - in a word, freer - country. Defend or refute this statement.

2. Analyze the debate over the Equal Rights Amendment. Who was for it and who was against it? How did each side define freedom for women? What does the debate tell us about American society in the 1970s?