Modern History Essay

During the two decades following WWII, significant political, social and  economic developments took place within the United States.   The global  triumph against virulent racism associated with the fascist Axis  Alliance along with the liberation of colonial regimes, most  particularly within Africa, highlighted the blatant prejudice inherent  in racial segregation.  Due to military service abroad, many members of  the armed forces were cognizant of the disparity between American ideals  and reality as the nation became absorbed with the pent up desire to  improve individual’s quality of life.  While prosperity increased for  most Americans, subsequent evidence revealed many residents did not  share in the affluent society.    Racial and ethnic prejudice remained  acutely visible.  As a tragic consequence of the virulent McCarthyism  spectacle, citizens who overtly criticized fundamental inequality were  viewed with profound suspicion.  The Supreme Court’s ruling in Brown v  Board of Education forced apathetic Americans to confront the horrifying  edifice of institutional discrimination.   With extensive media  attention, a persistent civil disobedience campaign was coordinated by  Dr. Martin Luther King’s Southern Leadership Conference.   As the scope  of public protest expanded, it led to the enactment of legislation  during the early 1960s that was designed to fundamentally eradicate the  political vestiges of racial discrimination and broaden opportunities  for women, veterans and people with disabilities.  
Explain the  achievements and controversies of domestic conditions within the United  States during this time frame and analyze the circumstances that allowed  complacency to block meaningful progress to resolve these conditions  for so long. 
Below are the essay instructions and resources of which 3 should be used.