Fighting discrimination and encouraging diversity and inclusivity : the evolution of the American society
By: Audréane Leclercq
The history of the United States is undeniably marked with discrimination, encompassing different forms such as race, sexual orientation, gender or religion. Nevertheless, in recent years, several fights for rights and freedom, for example the Civil Rights Movement in the 1960s and the Women’s Suffrage movement in the early 1900s have exemplified the country’s fight to eradicate discrimination and become more culturally diverse and inclusive.
Oppressed communities struggle to change the past and try to create a fairer future. Despite the flaws that are still present today, society’s evolution in regard to inclusion and diversity requires an ongoing collective effort.
Recently, the LGBTQ+ community (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer) has been granted multiple rights. For example, the legalization of same-sex marriage in all 50 States in 2015 by the Supreme Court, which was a significant milestone for the whole nation. The Supreme Court also forbade employment discrimination against gay and transgender people in the United States of America in the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Additionally, the LGBTQ+ community has an event called the ‘Pride Parade’, in which members have the opportunity to celebrate acceptance, recognition by others as well as the rights they are granted. According to Glaad, in 2023, 84% of non-LGBTQ Americans support the LGBTQ+ community, demonstrating an evolving American society.
Similarly, the Black Lives Matter movement started in 2013 highlights the discrimination, police brutality, and racial inequality that people of color experience on a daily basis. It promotes anti-racism and is widely spread on social media in an effort to spread awareness. According to Pew Research Center, in 2020, 67% of Americans supported the Black Lives Matter movement, as opposed to 55% of supporters in 2017. The movement attempts to ease discrimination in American society by encouraging the inclusion of people of color.
The USA is also known for its mixture of cultures, religions and ethnicities. This cultural diversity is a fundamental aspect in society. It allows individuals to freely practice the religion of their choice, and grants the freedom to display, share, and show their cultural heritage, promoting diversity to create a society in which multiple cultural backgrounds can coexist.
All of these efforts, granting rights to the LGBTQ+ community and recognizing cultural diversity made by people in society, as well as the continuous fight against discrimination contribute to increasing and improving inclusion and diversity in the United States of America.
Curry, C. (2017) 9 Battles The LGBTQ community in the US is still fighting. https://www.globalcitizen.org/fr/content/9-battles-the-lgbt-community-in-the-us-is-still-fi/
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Glaad and Glaad (2023) Accelerating Acceptance 2023. https://glaad.org/publications/accelerating-acceptance-2023/
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