Final answer:
Many claimed America was post-racial after B. Barack Obama was elected president. While his election marked a significant point in U.S. history, the lasting legacy of the civil rights movement shows that ongoing efforts for racial equality are needed beyond such milestones.
Step-by-step explanation:
Many claimed that America was post-racial after B. Barack Obama was elected president. The election of Barack Obama, the first African American President, in 2008, was seen by some as a significant milestone that reflected changes in attitudes about race in the United States. However, despite this watershed moment, the complex legacy of the civil rights movement indicates that the journey toward racial equality has many facets and is ongoing.
The Civil Rights Movement led to major legislative achievements, such as the landmark Civil Rights Act of 1964, which banned discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, or national origin in employment practices and public accommodations. Its wide-ranging impacts have been felt in desegregation of schools, increasing voter access through the Voting Rights Act of 1965, and the Civil Rights Act of 1968, which ended discrimination in housing. Through these acts, the foundations were laid for a society in which racial discrimination is outlawed at the structural level.
Nevertheless, the question of whether America is truly post-racial is complex and subject to debate. The election of President Obama was a symbolic and real achievement in the nation's history, but it did not eradicate all forms of racial inequality or bias that still persist in many areas of American life.