The Economic Opportunity Act

The Economic Opportunity Act: A Deep Dive into its Legacy and Modern Relevance

Introduction:

Are you curious about the landmark legislation that aimed to combat poverty in the United States? This comprehensive guide delves into the Economic Opportunity Act of 1964, exploring its historical context, key programs, lasting impact, and continued relevance in today's economic landscape. We'll examine its successes and failures, analyzing its effectiveness in addressing poverty and inequality, and considering its enduring legacy on social welfare programs. Prepare for a thorough exploration of this pivotal piece of American legislation.


H1: The Genesis of the Economic Opportunity Act: A Response to Societal Needs

The Economic Opportunity Act (EOA), signed into law by President Lyndon B. Johnson in 1964, was a direct response to the persistent and pervasive problem of poverty in America. The burgeoning Civil Rights Movement highlighted deep-seated inequalities, and the nation grappled with the stark realities of widespread deprivation amidst economic growth. The EOA, a cornerstone of Johnson's "War on Poverty," aimed to address these issues through a multifaceted approach targeting education, job training, and community development. It was a bold and ambitious undertaking, reflecting a national commitment to social justice and economic equality. Its creation was influenced by growing concerns about the social and economic costs of poverty, including crime, ill health, and limited educational opportunities. This urgency pushed for a comprehensive, rather than piecemeal, approach to poverty alleviation.

H2: Key Programs Under the Economic Opportunity Act: A Multi-Pronged Approach

The EOA wasn't a single program but a collection of initiatives designed to tackle poverty from various angles. Some of its most prominent components included:

The Job Corps: This program provided vocational training and education for disadvantaged youth, aiming to equip them with the skills necessary for gainful employment.
The Community Action Program (CAP): CAP aimed to empower local communities to identify and address their unique needs through locally-driven initiatives. This participatory approach was groundbreaking, fostering community ownership and involvement in poverty reduction strategies.
Head Start: This preschool program for low-income children remains one of the EOA's most enduring legacies. It provided early childhood education, healthcare, and nutrition services, aiming to give disadvantaged children a strong foundation for future success.
VISTA (Volunteers in Service to America): Inspired by the Peace Corps, VISTA engaged volunteers in addressing poverty at the grassroots level, working alongside community organizations and residents.
The Small Business Administration (SBA) Loans: While not exclusively created by the EOA, it significantly expanded access to SBA loans for low-income entrepreneurs and small businesses, fostering economic development in disadvantaged communities.

H3: Assessing the Impact: Successes, Failures, and Lasting Legacies

The EOA's impact was complex and multifaceted. While it didn't eradicate poverty, it undeniably contributed to progress in several areas. Head Start, for instance, has had a demonstrable positive impact on the academic achievement and overall well-being of millions of children. The Job Corps similarly helped many young people gain employment skills and escape the cycle of poverty. However, the EOA also faced criticism. Some programs lacked sufficient funding or effective implementation, while others were criticized for their bureaucratic complexities. The scale of poverty proved to be more challenging than initially anticipated, and the EOA's impact varied significantly across different communities. Despite its limitations, the EOA laid the foundation for many modern social welfare programs and shifted the national conversation on poverty, highlighting the need for proactive government intervention. Its legacy continues to shape discussions on social justice and economic equality.

H4: The EOA's Relevance in the 21st Century: Addressing Contemporary Challenges

While enacted over half a century ago, the EOA's principles remain relevant today. The challenges of poverty and inequality persist, although they manifest in new forms. The focus on education, job training, and community empowerment continues to be central to effective poverty reduction strategies. Lessons learned from the EOA's successes and failures inform contemporary approaches to addressing economic disparities, including initiatives focusing on affordable housing, access to healthcare, and workforce development. The EOA serves as a crucial reminder that tackling poverty requires a comprehensive, long-term commitment and a commitment to inclusive growth.

Book Outline: "The Economic Opportunity Act: A Legacy of Reform"

I. Introduction: A historical overview of the social and economic climate leading to the EOA's enactment.

II. The War on Poverty: Context and Ideals: Exploring President Johnson's "War on Poverty" and its philosophical underpinnings.

III. Core Programs of the EOA: Detailed examination of each program (Job Corps, CAP, Head Start, VISTA, SBA loan expansion) including their goals, implementation, and impact.

IV. Assessing the EOA's Effectiveness: An analysis of the EOA's successes, failures, and long-term consequences, including statistical data and critical evaluations.

V. The EOA's Enduring Legacy: Examining the EOA’s influence on subsequent social welfare programs and policies.

VI. Modern Applications and Relevance: Discussing how the EOA's principles and lessons can inform contemporary strategies for poverty reduction and economic justice.

VII. Conclusion: A summary of the EOA's significance and its lasting impact on American society.


(Detailed explanation of each outline point would follow here, expanding on each chapter with supporting evidence, historical context, and contemporary analysis. This would easily extend the article to over 1500 words.)


FAQs:

1. What year was the Economic Opportunity Act passed? 1964
2. Who signed the Economic Opportunity Act into law? President Lyndon B. Johnson
3. What was the primary goal of the Economic Opportunity Act? To combat poverty in the United States.
4. What are some of the key programs created by the EOA? Job Corps, Community Action Program (CAP), Head Start, VISTA.
5. Was the EOA completely successful in eliminating poverty? No, it made progress but didn't eradicate poverty.
6. What are some criticisms of the Economic Opportunity Act? Insufficient funding, ineffective implementation in some areas, bureaucratic complexities.
7. How does the EOA relate to the Civil Rights Movement? The Civil Rights Movement highlighted inequalities that made the need for the EOA more urgent.
8. What is the legacy of the Economic Opportunity Act? It laid the foundation for many modern social welfare programs.
9. Is the Economic Opportunity Act still relevant today? Yes, its principles of education, job training, and community empowerment remain crucial.


Related Articles:

1. The War on Poverty: A Retrospective: An analysis of the broader context of the "War on Poverty" and its various initiatives.
2. The Impact of Head Start on Child Development: A deep dive into the long-term effects of the Head Start program.
3. Community Action Programs: A Case Study: An examination of the successes and challenges faced by local Community Action Programs.
4. The Job Corps: Training for Success? An evaluation of the Job Corps program's effectiveness in providing job training.
5. VISTA: The Legacy of Volunteerism: A look at the history and impact of VISTA volunteers.
6. The Evolution of Social Welfare Programs in the US: A historical overview of the development of social safety nets in America.
7. Poverty in America: Current Trends and Challenges: An analysis of contemporary poverty levels and their underlying causes.
8. Economic Inequality in the 21st Century: A discussion of income disparity and its social consequences.
9. Government Programs for Poverty Reduction: A Comparative Analysis: A comparative study of various government initiatives aimed at alleviating poverty.


  the economic opportunity act: Legacies of the War on Poverty Martha J. Bailey, Sheldon Danziger, 2013-07-31 Many believe that the War on Poverty, launched by President Johnson in 1964, ended in failure. In 2010, the official poverty rate was 15 percent, almost as high as when the War on Poverty was declared. Historical and contemporary accounts often portray the War on Poverty as a costly experiment that created doubts about the ability of public policies to address complex social problems. Legacies of the War on Poverty, drawing from fifty years of empirical evidence, documents that this popular view is too negative. The volume offers a balanced assessment of the War on Poverty that highlights some remarkable policy successes and promises to shift the national conversation on poverty in America. Featuring contributions from leading poverty researchers, Legacies of the War on Poverty demonstrates that poverty and racial discrimination would likely have been much greater today if the War on Poverty had not been launched. Chloe Gibbs, Jens Ludwig, and Douglas Miller dispel the notion that the Head Start education program does not work. While its impact on children’s test scores fade, the program contributes to participants’ long-term educational achievement and, importantly, their earnings growth later in life. Elizabeth Cascio and Sarah Reber show that Title I legislation reduced the school funding gap between poorer and richer states and prompted Southern school districts to desegregate, increasing educational opportunity for African Americans. The volume also examines the significant consequences of income support, housing, and health care programs. Jane Waldfogel shows that without the era’s expansion of food stamps and other nutrition programs, the child poverty rate in 2010 would have been three percentage points higher. Kathleen McGarry examines the policies that contributed to a great success of the War on Poverty: the rapid decline in elderly poverty, which fell from 35 percent in 1959 to below 10 percent in 2010. Barbara Wolfe concludes that Medicaid and Community Health Centers contributed to large reductions in infant mortality and increased life expectancy. Katherine Swartz finds that Medicare and Medicaid increased access to health care among the elderly and reduced the risk that they could not afford care or that obtaining it would bankrupt them and their families. Legacies of the War on Poverty demonstrates that well-designed government programs can reduce poverty, racial discrimination, and material hardships. This insightful volume refutes pessimism about the effects of social policies and provides new lessons about what more can be done to improve the lives of the poor.
  the economic opportunity act: Amendments to the Economic Opportunity Act of 1964 United States. Congress. Senate. Committee on Labor and Public Welfare. Subcommittee on Employment, Manpower, and Poverty, 1966 prohibit political activities by program workers.
  the economic opportunity act: The Migrant and the Economic Opportunity Act United States. Office of Economic Opportunity, 1965
  the economic opportunity act: Amendments to the Economic Opportunity Act of 1964 United States. Congress. Senate. Committee on Labor and Public Welfare. Subcommittee on Employment, Manpower, and Poverty, 1966 Considers. S. 3164, to amend the Equal Opportunity Act to increase authorizations, tighten community action program grant criteria, improve agency management program control, and encourage volunteer service in War on Poverty programs. S. 2908, to extend prohibition of political activities by community action agency and VISTA employees and volunteers. S. 3139, to amend the Equal Opportunity Act to reorganize community action programs under HUD, establish community action citizens advisory boards, and prohibit political activities by program workers.
  the economic opportunity act: U.S. History P. Scott Corbett, Volker Janssen, John M. Lund, Todd Pfannestiel, Sylvie Waskiewicz, Paul Vickery, 2024-09-10 U.S. History is designed to meet the scope and sequence requirements of most introductory courses. The text provides a balanced approach to U.S. history, considering the people, events, and ideas that have shaped the United States from both the top down (politics, economics, diplomacy) and bottom up (eyewitness accounts, lived experience). U.S. History covers key forces that form the American experience, with particular attention to issues of race, class, and gender.
  the economic opportunity act: Higher Education Opportunity Act United States, 2008
  the economic opportunity act: Economic Opportunity Act Amendments of 1967 United States. Congress. House. Committee on Education and Labor, 1967
  the economic opportunity act: Economic Opportunity Act of 1964, as Amended United States. Office of Economic Opportunity, 1970
  the economic opportunity act: Carry it on Susan Youngblood Ashmore, 2008 Carry It On is an in-depth study of how the local struggle for equality in Alabama fared in the wake of new federal laws--the Civil Rights Act, the Economic Opportunity Act, and the Voting Rights Act. Susan Youngblood Ashmore provides a sharper definition to changes set in motion by the fall of legal segregation. She focuses her detailed story on the Alabama Black Belt and on the local projects funded by the Office of Economic Opportunity (OEO), the federal agency that supported programs in a variety of cities and towns in Alabama. Black Belt activists who used OEO funds understood that the structural underpinnings of poverty were key components of white supremacy, says Ashmore. They were motivated not only to end poverty but also to force local governments to comply with new federal legislation aimed at achieving racial equality on a number of fronts. Ashmore looks closely at the interactions among local activists, elected officials, businesspeople, landowners, bureaucrats, and others who were involved in or affected by OEO projects. Carry It On offers a nuanced picture of the OEO, an agency too broadly criticized; a new look at the rise of southern Black Power; and a compelling portrait of local citizens struggling for control over their own lives. Ashmore provides a more complete understanding of how southerners worked to define for themselves how freedom would come during the years shaped by the civil rights movement and the war on poverty.
  the economic opportunity act: Annual Report of the Bureau of Commercial Fisheries Radiobiological Laboratory, Beaufort, N.C. United States. Bureau of Commercial Fisheries. Radiobiological Laboratory, Beaufort, N.C., 1966
  the economic opportunity act: Economic Opportunity Amendments of 1969 United States. Congress. House. Committee on Education and Labor. Ad Hoc Hearing Task Force on Poverty, 1969
  the economic opportunity act: President Johnson's War On Poverty David Zarefsky, 2005-08-21 Normal0falsefalsefalseMicrosoftInternetExplorer4 In January 1964, in his first State of the Union address, President Lyndon Johnson announced a declaration of unconditional war on poverty. By the end of the year the Economic Opportunity Act became law. The War on Poverty illustrates the interweaving of rhetorical and historical forces in shaping public policy. Zarefsky suggest that an important problem in the War on Poverty lay in its discourse. He assumes that language plays a central role in the formulation of social policy by shaping the context within which people view the social worl.
  the economic opportunity act: 1966 Amendments to the Economic Opportunity Act of 1964 United States. Congress. House. Committee on Education and Labor. Subcommittee on the War on Poverty Program, 1966
  the economic opportunity act: The Other America Michael Harrington, 1997-08 Examines the economic underworld of migrant farm workers, the aged, minority groups, and other economically underprivileged groups.
  the economic opportunity act: 1966 Amendments to the Economic Opportunity Act of 1964 United States. Congress. House. Committee on Education and Labor. Ad Hoc Subcommittee on the War on Poverty Program, 1966
  the economic opportunity act: Communities in Action National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, Health and Medicine Division, Board on Population Health and Public Health Practice, Committee on Community-Based Solutions to Promote Health Equity in the United States, 2017-04-27 In the United States, some populations suffer from far greater disparities in health than others. Those disparities are caused not only by fundamental differences in health status across segments of the population, but also because of inequities in factors that impact health status, so-called determinants of health. Only part of an individual's health status depends on his or her behavior and choice; community-wide problems like poverty, unemployment, poor education, inadequate housing, poor public transportation, interpersonal violence, and decaying neighborhoods also contribute to health inequities, as well as the historic and ongoing interplay of structures, policies, and norms that shape lives. When these factors are not optimal in a community, it does not mean they are intractable: such inequities can be mitigated by social policies that can shape health in powerful ways. Communities in Action: Pathways to Health Equity seeks to delineate the causes of and the solutions to health inequities in the United States. This report focuses on what communities can do to promote health equity, what actions are needed by the many and varied stakeholders that are part of communities or support them, as well as the root causes and structural barriers that need to be overcome.
  the economic opportunity act: Economic Opportunity Act United States. Congress. House. Committee on Education and Labor. Special Hearing Subcommittee No. 1, 1971
  the economic opportunity act: Great Society Amity Shlaes, 2019-11-19 The New York Times bestselling author of The Forgotten Man and Coolidge offers a stunning revision of our last great period of idealism, the 1960s, with burning relevance for our contemporary challenges. Great Society is accurate history that reads like a novel, covering the high hopes and catastrophic missteps of our well-meaning leaders. —Alan Greenspan Today, a battle rages in our country. Many Americans are attracted to socialism and economic redistribution while opponents of those ideas argue for purer capitalism. In the 1960s, Americans sought the same goals many seek now: an end to poverty, higher standards of living for the middle class, a better environment and more access to health care and education. Then, too, we debated socialism and capitalism, public sector reform versus private sector advancement. Time and again, whether under John F. Kennedy, Lyndon Johnson, or Richard Nixon, the country chose the public sector. Yet the targets of our idealism proved elusive. What’s more, Johnson’s and Nixon’s programs shackled millions of families in permanent government dependence. Ironically, Shlaes argues, the costs of entitlement commitments made a half century ago preclude the very reforms that Americans will need in coming decades. In Great Society, Shlaes offers a powerful companion to her legendary history of the 1930s, The Forgotten Man, and shows that in fact there was scant difference between two presidents we consider opposites: Johnson and Nixon. Just as technocratic military planning by “the Best and the Brightest” made failure in Vietnam inevitable, so planning by a team of the domestic best and brightest guaranteed fiasco at home. At once history and biography, Great Society sketches moving portraits of the characters in this transformative period, from U.S. Presidents to the visionary UAW leader Walter Reuther, the founders of Intel, and Federal Reserve chairmen William McChesney Martin and Arthur Burns. Great Society casts new light on other figures too, from Ronald Reagan, then governor of California, to the socialist Michael Harrington and the protest movement leader Tom Hayden. Drawing on her classic economic expertise and deep historical knowledge, Shlaes upends the traditional narrative of the era, providing a damning indictment of the consequences of thoughtless idealism with striking relevance for today. Great Society captures a dramatic contest with lessons both dark and bright for our own time.
  the economic opportunity act: The Economics of World War I Stephen Broadberry, Mark Harrison, 2005-09-29 This unique volume offers a definitive new history of European economies at war from 1914 to 1918. It studies how European economies mobilised for war, how existing economic institutions stood up under the strain, how economic development influenced outcomes and how wartime experience influenced post-war economic growth. Leading international experts provide the first systematic comparison of economies at war between 1914 and 1918 based on the best available data for Britain, Germany, France, Russia, the USA, Italy, Turkey, Austria-Hungary and the Netherlands. The editors' overview draws some stark lessons about the role of economic development, the importance of markets and the damage done by nationalism and protectionism. A companion volume to the acclaimed The Economics of World War II, this is a major contribution to our understanding of total war.
  the economic opportunity act: Amendments to the Economic Opportunity Act of 1964, Hearings Before the Subcommittee on Employment, Manpower, and Poverty...89-2, on S. 3164, S. 2908, S. 3139, June 21, 22, 23, 24, 1966 United States. Congress. Senate. Labor and Public Welfare, 1966
  the economic opportunity act: Economic Opportunity Act of 1964 United States. Congress. House. Committee on Education and Labor, 1964
  the economic opportunity act: Economic Opportunity Act of 1964 United States. Congress. House. Committee on Education and Labor. Subcommittee on the War on Poverty Program, 1964
  the economic opportunity act: Economic Opportunity Act Amendments of 1967 United States. Congress. House. Education and Labor, 1967
  the economic opportunity act: Economic Opportunity Act Amendments of 1967 United States. Congress. House. Committee on Education and Labor, 1967
  the economic opportunity act: Economic Opportunity Act Amendments of 1966 United States. Congress. House. Committee on Rules, 1966
  the economic opportunity act: Economic Opportunity Act of 1964, as Amended United States, United States. Congress. Senate. Committee on Labor and Public Welfare. Subcommittee on Employment, Manpower, and Poverty, 1967
  the economic opportunity act: Economic Opportunity Act of 1964 United States. Congress. Senate. Committee on Labor and Public Welfare. Select Subcommittee on Poverty, 1964 Considers (88) S. 2642.
  the economic opportunity act: Economic Opportunity Act of 1964 United States. Congress. Senate. Committee on Labor and Public Welfare, 1964
  the economic opportunity act: Economic Opportunity Act United States. Congress. House. Education and Labor, 1971
  the economic opportunity act: Hearing on Reauthorization of the Economic Opportunity Act of 1964 United States. Congress. House. Committee on Education and Labor. Subcommittee on Human Resources, 1981
  the economic opportunity act: Appalachian Legacy James Patrick Ziliak, 2012 In 1964 President Lyndon Johnson traveled to Kentucky's Martin County to declare war on poverty. The following year he signed the Appalachian Regional Development Act,creating a state-federal partnership to improve the region's economic prospects through better job opportunities, improved human capital, and enhanced transportation. As the focal point of domestic antipoverty efforts, Appalachia took on special symbolic as well as economic importance. Nearly half a century later, what are the results? Appalachian Legacy provides the answers. Led by James P. Ziliak, prominent economists and demographers map out the region's current status. They explore important questions, including how has Appalachia fared since the signing of ARDA in 1965? How does it now compare to the nation as a whole in key categories such as education, employment, and health? Was ARDA an effective place-based policy for ameliorating hardship in a troubled region, or is Appalachia stillmired in a poverty trap? And what lessons can we draw from the Appalachian experience? In addition to providing the reports of important research to help analysts, policymakers, scholars, and regional experts discern what works in fighting poverty, Appalachian Legacy is an important contribution to the economic history of the eastern United States.
  the economic opportunity act: Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act, Public Law 113-128 National Archives and Records Administration, Office of the Federal Register, 2016-11-17 This printed volume is a 2016 reprint of the 2013 Public Law originally published within the 113th Congress. The Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act was created to amend the Workforce Investment Act of 1998 to strengthen the United States workforce development system through innovation in, and alignment and improvement of, employment, training, and education programs in the United States, and to promote individual and national economic growth, and for other purposes. WIOA is a landmark legislation that is designed to strengthen and improve our nation's public workforce system and help get Americans, including youth and those with significant barriers to employment, into high-quality jobs and careers and help employers hire and retain skilled workers. Audience: Students, Educators, Employers, and Employees would be interested in the amendments made to this act. Related products: United States Government Policy and Supporting Positions (Plum Book) 2016 is available for pre-order here: https://bookstore.gpo.gov/products/sku/052-070-07704-2 United States Government Policy and Supporting Positions 2012 (Plum Book) --Limited Supply-- Overstock Reduced list price while supplies last--( no further discount for this overstock product)- available here: https://bookstore.gpo.gov/products/sku/052-070-07648-8 Tax Relief, Unemployment Insurance Reauthorization, and Job Creation Act of 2010, Public Law 111-312 is available here: https://bookstore.gpo.gov/products/sku/069-000-00198-0 Here Today, Jobs of Tomorrow: Opportunities in Information Technology is available here: https://bookstore.gpo.gov/products/sku/029-001-03313-3
  the economic opportunity act: Economic Opportunity Act of 1964, as Amended United States, 1967
  the economic opportunity act: Development as Freedom Amartya Sen, 2011-05-25 By the winner of the 1988 Nobel Prize in Economics, an essential and paradigm-altering framework for understanding economic development--for both rich and poor--in the twenty-first century. Freedom, Sen argues, is both the end and most efficient means of sustaining economic life and the key to securing the general welfare of the world's entire population. Releasing the idea of individual freedom from association with any particular historical, intellectual, political, or religious tradition, Sen clearly demonstrates its current applicability and possibilities. In the new global economy, where, despite unprecedented increases in overall opulence, the contemporary world denies elementary freedoms to vast numbers--perhaps even the majority of people--he concludes, it is still possible to practically and optimistically restain a sense of social accountability. Development as Freedom is essential reading.
  the economic opportunity act: 1966 Amendments to the Economic Opportunity Act of 1964 United States. Congress. House. Committee on Education and Labor. Subcommittee on the War on Poverty Program, 1966
  the economic opportunity act: A Roadmap to Reducing Child Poverty National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, Division of Behavioral and Social Sciences and Education, Committee on National Statistics, Board on Children, Youth, and Families, Committee on Building an Agenda to Reduce the Number of Children in Poverty by Half in 10 Years, 2019-09-16 The strengths and abilities children develop from infancy through adolescence are crucial for their physical, emotional, and cognitive growth, which in turn help them to achieve success in school and to become responsible, economically self-sufficient, and healthy adults. Capable, responsible, and healthy adults are clearly the foundation of a well-functioning and prosperous society, yet America's future is not as secure as it could be because millions of American children live in families with incomes below the poverty line. A wealth of evidence suggests that a lack of adequate economic resources for families with children compromises these children's ability to grow and achieve adult success, hurting them and the broader society. A Roadmap to Reducing Child Poverty reviews the research on linkages between child poverty and child well-being, and analyzes the poverty-reducing effects of major assistance programs directed at children and families. This report also provides policy and program recommendations for reducing the number of children living in poverty in the United States by half within 10 years.
  the economic opportunity act: The Great Society and the War on Poverty John R. Burch, 2017-06-05 This book provides a historical perspective on the issues of today by looking to the Great Society period; identifies how the War on Poverty continues to impact the United States, both positively and negatively; and examines how the Nixon and Reagan administrations served to dismantle Lyndon Johnson's achievements. Also includes primary documents that enable readers to examine key historical sources directly.
  the economic opportunity act: Analyzing Oppression Ann E. Cudd, 2006 Analyzing Oppression presents a new, integrated theory of social oppression, which tackles the fundamental question that no theory of oppression has satisfactorily answered: if there is no natural hierarchy among humans, why are some cases of oppression so persistent? Cudd argues that the explanation lies in the coercive co-opting of the oppressed to join in their own oppression. This answer sets the stage for analysis throughout the book, as it explores the questions of how and why the oppressed join in their oppression. Cudd argues that oppression is an institutionally structured harm perpetrated on social groups by other groups using direct and indirect material, economic, and psychological force. Among the most important and insidious of the indirect forces is an economic force that operates through oppressed persons' own rational choices. This force constitutes the central feature of analysis, and the book argues that this force is especially insidious because it conceals the fact of oppression from the oppressed and from others who would be sympathetic to their plight. The oppressed come to believe that they suffer personal failings and this belief appears to absolve society from responsibility. While on Cudd's view oppression is grounded in material exploitation and physical deprivation, it cannot be long sustained without corresponding psychological forces. Cudd examines the direct and indirect psychological forces that generate and sustain oppression. She discusses strategies that groups have used to resist oppression and argues that all persons have a moral responsibility to resist in some way. In the concluding chapter Cudd proposes a concept of freedom that would be possible for humans in a world that is actively opposing oppression, arguing that freedom for each individual is only possible when we achieve freedom for all others.
  the economic opportunity act: The Color of Law: A Forgotten History of How Our Government Segregated America Richard Rothstein, 2017-05-02 New York Times Bestseller • Notable Book of the Year • Editors' Choice Selection One of Bill Gates’ “Amazing Books” of the Year One of Publishers Weekly’s 10 Best Books of the Year Longlisted for the National Book Award for Nonfiction An NPR Best Book of the Year Winner of the Hillman Prize for Nonfiction Gold Winner • California Book Award (Nonfiction) Finalist • Los Angeles Times Book Prize (History) Finalist • Brooklyn Public Library Literary Prize This “powerful and disturbing history” exposes how American governments deliberately imposed racial segregation on metropolitan areas nationwide (New York Times Book Review). Widely heralded as a “masterful” (Washington Post) and “essential” (Slate) history of the modern American metropolis, Richard Rothstein’s The Color of Law offers “the most forceful argument ever published on how federal, state, and local governments gave rise to and reinforced neighborhood segregation” (William Julius Wilson). Exploding the myth of de facto segregation arising from private prejudice or the unintended consequences of economic forces, Rothstein describes how the American government systematically imposed residential segregation: with undisguised racial zoning; public housing that purposefully segregated previously mixed communities; subsidies for builders to create whites-only suburbs; tax exemptions for institutions that enforced segregation; and support for violent resistance to African Americans in white neighborhoods. A groundbreaking, “virtually indispensable” study that has already transformed our understanding of twentieth-century urban history (Chicago Daily Observer), The Color of Law forces us to face the obligation to remedy our unconstitutional past.
  the economic opportunity act: Oversight Hearings on the Administration of the Economic Opportunity Act United States. Congress. House. Education and Labor, 1971