Learning Objectives

  • Explain the forces that led to the end of de jure segregation, including relevant organizations, leaders, and legal changes.
  • Compare and contrast the Civil Rights Movement with the Black Power Movement.
  • Explain the most important issues and trends pertaining to black–white relations since the 1960s, including
    1. the relationship between the criminal justice system and the black community,
    2. class inequality within the black community,
    3. family forms and family as a social institution,
    4. new racial identities,
    5. prejudice, and
    6. individual and institutional forms of discrimination.
  • Analyze the contemporary situation for African Americans using the concepts of assimilation and pluralism, especially in terms of
    1. acculturation,
    2. secondary structural assimilation, and
    3. primary structural assimilation.
  • Use sociological concepts and evidence from the chapter to evaluate the overall situation for African Americans today. Evaluate the progress made compared with remaining problems. (Is the glass half empty or half full?)