IndexIntroductionSuffrage and Civil RightsEducational InequalityGender Disparity: African American WomenConclusionReferencesIntroductionIn the United States and many other nations, individuals from different countries, religions, genders, and races often grapple with issues relating to racism, oppression and discrimination. These challenges encompass a wide range of experiences, impacting people because of their gender, race, religion and more. One of the significant minority groups in the United States that has withstood centuries of struggle for equality is the African American community. African Americans have faced disparities in suffrage, education, and employment, stemming from the historical legacy of slavery and continuing to the present day. Therefore this essay will discuss the African American struggle for equality in America. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay Suffrage and Civil Rights The inequality experienced by African Americans has its roots in the era of slavery, when they were treated as property rather than human beings. Over time, African Americans began to advocate for their equal rights, eventually leading to the abolition of slavery following the Civil War (History.com Editors, 2009). However, even after slavery was abolished, discrimination persisted. Efforts to grant suffrage to African Americans gained traction during the post-Civil War Reconstruction era, along with the pursuit of equal rights before the law. Unfortunately, these rights remained largely theoretical as obstacles were continually erected to deny African Americans their full rights. The 13th Amendment, ratified in 1865, marked the abolition of slavery (“Landmark Legislation,” 2019). The 14th Amendment, ratified in 1868, guaranteed citizenship and legal equality to all individuals born or naturalized in the United States, although it did not include women at the time (“Landmark Legislation,” 2019). The Fifteenth Amendment, ratified in 1870, prohibited the denial of the right to vote on the basis of race, color, or previous servitude (“Landmark Legislation,” 2019). Despite these legal provisions, many states have found ways to circumvent them, imposing conditions such as poll taxes, literacy tests, and the grandfather clause to limit African American voting (Parrott-Sheffer, 2019). Threats, violence, and fraud have further hindered their right to vote (Parrott-Sheffer, 2019). The fight for suffrage continued throughout the 20th century, with significant milestones such as Martin Luther King's leadership in peaceful protests starting in 1955 and the subsequent abolition of voting. taxes and elimination of restrictive conditions through the Voting Rights Act of 1965 (Parrott-Sheffer, 2019). These advances significantly increased voter registration among African Americans, from 23% to 61% in just four years (“Voting Rights,” n.d.). While these changes marked progress in suffrage, the fight against racial injustice continued. Educational Inequality The journey to educational equality for African Americans in the United States has been fraught with challenges. Historically, schools for black and white students were segregated, with each group attending separate educational institutions. This segregation continued until the landmark case Brown v. Board of Education, brought about by the unjust situation in which an African American girl had to travel a significantly longer distance to school than a nearby white public school.