Connecting Then to Now: To Kill a Mockingbird

Written in 1960, To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee, uncovered some of society's most toughest issues including racism which the book revolves around. The book takes place during the 1930's, in the southern state of Alabama. Jean, better known as "Scout", along with her brother Jeremy or "Jem" are caught in the trilling adventure of a trial. Tom Robinson is accused of rape. Defending him is Atticus, the father of Scout and Jem. Although Atticus clearly shows Tom's innocence, the racist-minded jury pronounces Tom guilty. While reading the book that I've cherished and have read many times, I began to think about the situations in the book and how they might or wouldn't still be present today.

Civil rights for blacks have come a long way since the civil rights movement led by leaders such as Martin Luther King, Jr. In the book, Tom is accused of rape and is convicted by an all white jury. Nowadays, a situation like this wouldn't happen due to many reasons. In 1964, the Civil Rights Act was passed by President Johnson. This prohibited the discrimination of race, color, religion, or national origin. This act was later improved in 1968 by President Johnson. More Civil Rights Acts were passed all the way up to 2008, helping and improving the rights of targeted groups. People began to reach out and accept others more. Even today you can see monumental milestones in American history. In 2008, President Barack Obama became the first ever African American president in the U.S., and he is currently in his second-term. Although many more changes need to be made to ensure equality for everyone, society has changed for the better since To Kill a Mockingbird came out.