The 1980’s: A Time for Change
By: Brittany Dennis
5/4/2014
Mr. Puller

Brittany Dennis

Mr. Puller

7TH Hour

May 4, 2014

The 1980’s: A Time for Change

The 1980’s was a series of uprisings that began in the United States, and went on to control the world. It was a decade of people and decisions that shaped the entire nation’s future. Despite popular views, the 1980’s, opposed to the 1960’s, was the most progressive era for minority rights in the political, economic, cultural, and social environments. It was the decade that made us.

During the 1980s, both women and African Americans were used on court case investigations. Before this, the political system was accused of being controlled by white American men to harm or damage minority groups. Al Sharpton, one of the country’s most distinguished civil rights spokespersons, argued that the criminal justice system was hopelessly racist after hearing about the case of Tawana Brawley. Brawley was a 15-year old African American girl whom had claimed to be raped by multiple people. Sharpton went on to publicize the case, which turned out to be a complete hoax(Sharpton and Walton, 376-380). When first viewing the court case, one may agree with Al Sharpton. Reading about a young African American girl being raped is a horrifying story, especially when the court didn’t do anything about it. Naturally, the initial reaction may be that the grand jury was racist. However, when one discovers that there was absolutely no evidence to show proof of a rape, it’s turned into a whole different story.The alleged rape was used to try and make a racial case. Because the criminal justice system was accused of being hopelessly racist, agencies assigned both women and African Americans with specialized expertise in both civil rights and sexual abuse cases to investigate. (Sharpton and Walton, 376-380).By assigning them on the case, they were given the opportunity to show that the grand jury was not guilty of being racist towards Brawley, and that the political system wasnot being controlled by white American men.Women and African Americans were now considered to be a part of the American political system.

Political court cases were not the only win for minority rights, however. The improved economic environment also supported minority rights. In 1977, the federal government passed the Public Works Employment Act. In 1980, the Supreme Court Decision on the Fullilove v. Klutznick case upheld the Public Works Employment Act, as it was needed to redress past discrimination. This act was required to give 10 percent of federal funds to the minority. The court allowed a waiver of the 10 percent provision if it could be proved that there were no minority-owned businesses in the area, or if the minority-owned business was charging unreasonable fees(Fullilove v. Klutznick). Although this was the case, the act was still a big win for minority businesses that had previously not had the equal opportunities to compete with the other businesses. Giving minorities the 10 percent of federal funds that was required was a breakthrough for them. Without it, there would be no way that they could possibly keep up with the businesses that were much older and had more built in advantages. If it weren’t for the Public Works Employment Act, we may never have known the small minority businesses we know and love today.

The number of women in the workforce increased dramatically. “The ratio of female earnings to male earnings for full-time, year-round employees was virtually constant, at 60 percent” (Goldin). As the women joining the workforce increased, the earnings increased as well. Because many would start working at a younger age, there was a better chance they would be able to find more stable jobs in the future. “The skills many of these women acquired when young enabled them to advance in ladder positions, allowing more women to have “careers,” not just jobs” (Goldin).Being able to have and keep “careers” made it easier to provide for their family, as well as keep up with men in the workforce. The “minorities” were no longer being overpowered. They now made up a much larger portion of workers in the United States.

Throughout the history of the nation, many groups had limited availability for members. There were many cases in which people were not admitted into a group, or limited one’s membership, just because of their sex. In 1984, the case of Roberts v. U.S. Jaycees made its way to the Supreme Court. The Jaycees were a group formed in the 1920’s that trained young men in the leadership field. Like many other groups, the Jaycees limited the roles of women in their membership. “Membership in the United States Jaycees was limited to males between the ages of eighteen and thirty-five. Females and older males were limited to associate membership in which they were prevented from voting or holding local or national office” (Roberts v. United States Jaycees). Before, the Jaycees did not have to admit women. Once the case made its way to the court, they were ordered to admit women. “Since Roberts, the Supreme Court has generally upheld state requirements that force organizations to admit people regardless of sex or creed.” (Brennan and O’Connor, 307). The court ruling was a huge success for minorities throughout the country. Now that groups could not discriminate, they were now able to have more freedom when it came to participation in different organizations.

Student Athletes took on a new rule regarding eligibility for certain sports. This new rule, rule 48, had three parts. “First, a high school senior must have a 2.0 grade point average on a 4.0 scale to be eligible for athletic participation. Second, the student must have taken eleven core classes in high school, including three in English, two in math, two in social studies, and two in natural or physical science. Finally, the student must have a combined score of 700 on the Scholastic Assessment Test (SAT), or a composite of fifteen on the American College Test (ACT).” (Williams, 141).Because of the new rules and guidelines, many thought rule 48 to be racist. Basing a student’s eligibility to play sports on specific test scores was seen as being unfair, especially to African Americans. However, some would argue that this was exactly what African American student athletes needed. Being on a more strict policy to play sports would make the student athletes more focused on school work and their eligibility to play the sports they loved. If they were more focused on getting work done and achieving the new requirements to become an athlete, they in the long run would become a better student as well.

All in all, the 1980’s saw many improvements in the political, economic, cultural, and social environments for minorities. There were many cases throughout the decade that were beneficial to both women and African Americans. These decisions and rulings helped shape the modern-day culture in the United States, bringing the entire nation together as a whole. Without the progressiveness for minorities from 1980-1989, we may still be seen as the racist and sexist nation we were forty years ago. As it may seem that the 1960’s saw the most improvements towards minority groups in the nation, this is not the case. The 1980s was by far the most progressive era for minority rights in the United States of America.

Works Cited

Brennan, William, and Sandra O'Connor. "Roberts v. U.S. Jaycees." <i>American Decades Primary Sources, 1980-89</i>. : Cengage Gale, 2003. . Print.

Claudia Goldin, "Gender Gap." The Concise Encyclopedia of Economics. 2008. Library of Economics and Liberty. 4 May 2014. <

FULLILOVE v. KLUTZNICK. The Oyez Project at IIT Chicago-Kent College of Law. 02 May 2014. <

ROBERTS v. UNITED STATES JAYCEES. The Oyez Project at IIT Chicago-Kent College of Law. 02 May 2014. <

Rose, Cynthia. American decades primary sources: 1980-1989. Detroit: Gale Research, 2003. Print.

Sharpton, Al, and Anthony Walton. "Racial Fault Lines." <i>American Decades Primary Sources, 1980-89</i>. : Cengage Gale, 2003. . Print.

Williams, Alexander. ""The Impact of Rule 48 Upon the Black Student Athlete: A Comment"." <i>American Decades Primary Sources, 1980-89</i>. : Cengage Gale, 2003. . Print.