Megan Merrill- CAPS #2

            As a part of growing into one’s identity, we must always question where we came from, and what cultures make up who we are today. This said identity is helped created by the groups that we were raised into and the groups of people we chose to belong to as adults. These groups can vary in multiple ways, either by nationality, ethnicity, age, gender, sexual orientation, and religion. Our identity and who are is directly influenced through the groups we belong to and how we are raised. (Martin and Nakayama, 2013). Although events in history may seem to be a singular, insignificant event to come, to others it is a way of defining the histories of certain cultural groups.

            Although I identity my self as female, and have been living within a feminine lifestyle for 22 years, I cannot confidentially say that I am fully knowledgeable about the present feminist movement and it’s past generations of the movement. In the 1960’s, a woman was expected by society to follow a sole path in life: marry early, start a family, and spend the rest of her life playing the role as homemaker, wife, and mother. The average American woman was limited in most aspects of their lives. The event that I wished to focus on that plays a major role that was a catalyst in the 1960’s movement was the signage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 by U.S. President Lyndon B. Johnson, which included the Title VII prohibition of discrimination based on sex.

            Through Title VII, it was unlawful for any employer to: “fail or refuse to hire or to discharge any individual, or otherwise to discriminate against any individual with respect to his compensation, terms, conditions, or privileges of employment, because of such individual’s race, color, religion, sex, or national origin.” Initially, the word “sex” was not included in the original draft of the document, however was added into the bill by Howard Smith, a Democrat from Virginia. By adding that single word, Title VII of the Civil Rights Act ensured women would have the right to fight employment discrimination just as groups of minorities would be able to fight against work place racial discrimination. This passage played a major role in the forward movement of feminism and helped spark the positive change for women that we are still effected by to this day and for generations to come.

            Liked I stated previously, the culture groups in which we belong help identify who we are. The communication between yourself and your culture is key into developing our identity and who we are as well. Without communication, the groups will cease to develop and exist, thus we miss opportunities to become who we are supposed to be. Without the movement of feminism that sparked in the 1960’s, we may not have the rights in which are expected to us today. Small events, such as marches on the capitol, to creating government titles, these acts create moments in their history that has an overall development of the histories of women in America.

Sink, N. (2008). 1960's - 1980's women's liberation movement. Northern Virginia Community             College, Retrieved from

http://novaonline.nvcc.edu/eli/evans/his135/events/womenslliberation/womensliberation.htm

Napikoski, L. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://womenshistory.about.com/od/feminism-second-wave/a/1960s-Feminism-Timeline.htm