Landmark Civil Rights Legislation, the U.S. 2024 Presidential Election and Déjà vu – the SIU System Hosts a Discussion at SIUE

SIUE Faculty Members Talk of Civil Rights Future Needs, Framing it by Former Deeds

The ebb and flow of political ramifications due to racial and economic equity gains following 1964 Landmark Civil Rights legislation, inform the need for ongoing, diligent work for civil liberties, as the country braces for the 2024 Presidential Election.

The above view was held by four Southern Illinois University Edwardsville faculty members who made up the panel during Southern Illinois University (SIU) System's Conversation of Understanding (COU), held Wednesday, Oct. 30 in the Morris University Center's Legacy Room on the campus of SIUE.

The topic of discission was "Delivering on Promises: The Legacy of the Civil Rights Act and Economic Opportunity Act of 1964, and the 2024 Presidential Election." Panelists included: Anthony Cheeseboro, PhD, associate professor in the Department of History; Bryan Jack, PhD, professor and director of SIUE's Universities Studying Slavery Initiative in the Department of History; Timothy Lewis, PhD, director of SIUE Black Studies, interim chair of the Department of Social Work, and associate professor in the Department of Political Science; and Laurie Rice, PhD, interim chair and professor in the Department of Political Science, and coordinator of Civic Education Project at SIUE.

Sheila Caldwell, EdD, SIU System Vice President for Antiracism, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, and Chief Diversity Officer, served as the moderator. SIU System President Dan Mahony, PhD, also asked questions of the panel. SIUE administrators attending included Chancellor James T. Minor, PhD; Jessica Harris, PhD, Vice Chancellor for Anti-racism, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion; Kevin Leonard, PhD, College of Arts and Sciences Dean; Earleen Patterson, PhD, Associate Vice Chancellor for Student Opportunities, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion; and Timothy Staples, EdD, interim director of CORE TEAM/Pre-College Program and executive director of the SIUE East St. Louis Campus Programs.

Caldwell asked the panelists a series of questions that included:

"How has the Civil Rights Act of 1964 shaped progress toward racial equity in the U.S. over the past six decades?"

Jack - "The Civil Rights of 1964 is the foundation of much of the progress we've made since then. It's not just about race. It's also national origin, gender, religion, and many others. Sometimes it becomes difficult to see the impact of it. But an event like this would not have been possible and Black people in these positions of power would not have been possible prior to 1964. Structurally, it's allowed these kinds of advancements to happen. But there is a lot of discrimination that's moved elsewhere after this legislation."

Lewis - "The purpose of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 was to compel states (or any actor of the state) to comply with the 14^th Amendment. Coming out of the Civil War, the South being determined on denying full citizenship to the newly freed slaves, enacted the Black Codes - legal and extralegal measures to reinstitute many of the policies that existed under slavery and ensure that Black people would never achieve equality or equity. The 14^th Amendment was a direct response to the Black Codes as it granted full citizenship, equal protection under the law, and due process. The Civil Rights Act covers any public accommodations, schools, any federally funded program and hiring and firing practices in companies. It reinforces voting rights, made Jim Crow laws illegal, and established the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (Title VII)."

"Despite advancements made by the Civil Rights Act, what are the most significant barriers to racial equality in 2024? How can these challenges be addressed through legislation?"

Rice - "Before the Civil Rights Act was introduced, President John F. Kennedy became the first major national politician to give a televised address on the subject of race. He said this is not a partisan issue but a moral issue. He called out discrimination and segregation as morally wrong. I show excerpts of this speech in some of my classes, and I'm always struck by the fact that, despite the progress brought about through the Civil Rights Movement, the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and other related legislation, many of the same disparities that Kennedy called out, whether in education, income, employment, or life expectancy - while smaller - still exist today. The 1964 laws address the playing field moving forward but give inadequate attention to mitigating the lingering impact of the past. That's where legislation needs to start. Racism has come back out of the shadows and re-entered political conversation and that poses a significant barrier."

Cheeseboro - "In terms of the current political climate, if you look at political rhetoric, the question of and attitude of law enforcement is something to seriously consider. It was not something that was specifically covered in the Civil Rights Act of 1964, but there is the question of how do you go forward on this? Ultimately, the issue of culture and law are aspects of civil rights."

"How does the Civil Rights Act intersect with current political discourse; especially as civil rights topics are debated in the context of elections?"

Cheeseboro - "In mentioning the George Floyd Act, when people say crime is an issue, they are quite often referring to people protesting and making them aware of things of which they are uncomfortable. For instance, there was a movement in favor of Black Lives Matter and then there was a quick push back. It makes me think of the patterns of American history. There tends to be a very short window for reform. Very quickly it comes up, 'Well, we've done enough.' When you hear people talk about crime, it is blow back against attempts to make improvements in civil rights. Once again, it's the dog whistle. People are not going to say, 'I'm against civil rights advancements.' They will say, 'I'm against crime.'"

"With an increasing wealth gap and economic challenges, what might a modern Economic Opportunity Act entail?"

Jack - "A lot of my research is on St. Louis. Last week, the University of France asked me to do a lecture on residential segregation in St. Louis. It had me looking at things like the Ferguson Commission Report, the Delmar Divide and others. In using the St. Louis region as a local example, one of the reports had the mortality age in Kinloch as 55 and the mortality age in Clayton in the 80s. High school dropout rates, food deserts, access to prenatal, access to jobs, good public transportation and more are all intertwined. It revolves around where we live. A future economic recovery act would try to close that wealth gap but would have to look backwards. We are talking about generations of wealth that was stolen or lost because of segregation, housing policies, red lining and ethnic cleansing in Black communities. In terms of policy - affordable housing is necessary. The way Americans build wealth is through homeownership. More opportunities for home ownership are needed. Other things that are necessary are free childcare, increasing Head Start and more.

When they passed the Civil Rights Act in 1866, one of the first things that President Andrew Johnson did was to veto it, because it was 'unfair to white people.' This idea that the advancement of people of color is somehow detrimental to white people is something we see over and over in our society."

Lewis - "The Economic Opportunity Act was to provide remedy to Black Americans and even poor white Americans who financially had been squashed under segregation. The disadvantageous nature of the Black Codes kept Blacks (and some white allies) from getting mortgages, small business loans, lines of credit, and even kept them out of leadership positions in unions Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., A. Phillip Randolph, Whitney Young and Bayard Rustin led this effort. This context is important because it shows that economic justice is connected to racial justice."

Lewis shared one current example as the federal termination of Cash Bail. "It disproportionately impacts Black people. A 2022 federal civil rights report on cash bail systems found that courts tend to impose higher pretrial detention penalties on Black and Latino people, citing a study that showed Black men received bail amounts 35% higher than white men."

"What measures can ensure that essential protections in civil rights and economic opportunity are maintained?"

Rice - "Legislation is difficult to pass and there are disagreements in Congress. Unless one party has the presidency and a majority in the House and Senate (like in 1964), new landmark legislation on these issues is unlikely. But when writing legislation, one thing to watch is whether or not it is written into the law that it needs to be periodically reauthorized. Portions of the Voting Rights Acts periodically expire and need to be reauthorized. While it has been expanded in a few ways over time such as to include protection for minority language groups, it has also been significantly weakened in others. The Civil Rights Act of 1964 was not written in a way that requires periodic reauthorization, and that provides stronger protection. Voters need to pay attention to these issues."

Conversations of Understanding have become a fixture across the SIU System and its individual campuses. They are a series of exchanges where students, alumni, faculty, staff and the broader SIU communities can share their experiences and thoughts on a variety of themes related to antiracism, diversity, equity and inclusion. The SIU System strives to be a model for others in higher education and be recognized as a leader in the region and beyond for our work in fostering understanding of relevant contemporary issues.

The Southern Illinois University System employs more than 7,000 faculty, staff and administrators who serve approximately 23,500 students through our campuses in Carbondale, Edwardsville and Springfield. The SIU System Office and SIU Medical School are in Springfield, Illinois as well as SIU Medicine clinics that serve thousands of patients.

Photos:
Top row, far left: Laurie Rice, PhD, interim chair and professor in the Department of Political Science and coordinator of Civic Education Project at SIUE.

Top row, far right: Timothy Lewis, PhD, director of SIUE Black Studies, interim chair of the Department of Social Work, and associate professor in the Department of Political Science.

Bottom row, left to right: Sheila Caldwell, EdD, SIU System Vice President for Antiracism, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, and Chief Diversity Officer; SIUE alumnus and League of Women Voters member John Harvey; Anthony Cheeseboro, PhD, associate professor in the Department of History; and Bryan Jack, PhD, professor and director of SIUE's Universities Studying Slavery Initiative in the Department of History.

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