Equality in the Workplace

The 1960s were years dominated by the minority. Various movements, such as the Civil, Women’s, and Free Speech Movements were led by the minority to challenge the status quo. These movements sought to spread equality throughout the nation and make it a norm. One of the major issues that minorities focused on was the fact that there was a lot of discrimination when it came to the workplace and in job opportunities as a whole.

Toward the beginning of the era of movements, President John F. Kennedy, on March 6, 1961, put to action Executive Order 10925. To address the national controversy and debates regarding civil liberties, the order was established to confirm that there would be full equality in employment opportunities on a government level. Government officials and employers would be bound by the order to “take affirmative action” in order to prevent discrimination. It would show the nation that people of all backgrounds are entitled to the same opportunities as their counterparts.

JFK signs Executive Order 10925

This was a major victory for minority races, as the 1960s was a time that stressed the need for equality in the workplace. However, Executive Order 10925 only dealt with race — not sex. It wasn’t until Lyndon B. Johnson’s presidency, in 1965, when the order was changed to Executive Order 11246 so that sex was included as one of the categories.

Executive Order 10925 helped to create the President’s Committee on Equal Employment, but in the following years, under the Civil Rights Act of 1964, it became the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC). The goal was essentially to officially put an end discrimination in both the public and private sectors.

Following the creation of the EEOC, Congress passed the Equal Pay Act (EPA) in 1963 which combated sex-based wage discrimination. Women would finally earn the same amount as their male counterparts who were completing the same tasks. The EPA was a major turning point in the fight for employment equality because it was the first national civil rights legislation that focus on the issues of discrimination in the workplace.

The 1960s were crucial years as the government was forced to address the issues regarding employment discrimination, and through the protest of the American citizens, change was quick to happen.

Works Cited

"A Brief History of Affirmative Action." UCI Office of Equal Opportunity and Diversity. Web. 18 May 2017.

"Executive Order 10925." Executive Order 10925 - EconWiki. Web. 18 May 2017.

"Milestones: The Early Years." Milestones in the History of the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission: The Early Years. Web. 18 May 2017.