The Color Purple: historical and political insight Alice Walker's writings were strongly influenced by the political and social events around her during the 1960s and 1970s. He not only wrote about the events that were happening, but also participated in them. His time and energy dedicated to society are very evident in his works. The Color Purple, one of Walker's most popular novels, sends a social message about women's struggle for freedom in a society where they are seen as inferior to men. Events that occurred during and before the writing of The Color Purple had a huge impact on the novel's point of view. The civil rights movement had the greatest influence on Walker's writings. With a decision issued by the Supreme Court in 1954, the beginning of civil rights occurred. In the Brown v. The Board of Education decision, the court ruled that separate educational facilities were inherently unequal because they gave African American children a sense of inferiority and retarded their educational and mental development. That case started the civil rights uprising in the United States. The Civil Rights Act of 1964 prohibits businesses engaged in interstate commerce from discriminating in choosing their employees. If these businesses did not comply with the law, they would lose the funds granted to them by the government. Another act passed to ensure black equality was the Voting Rights Act of 1965. This act, which was re-enacted and amended in 1970, 1975, and 1982, contained a plan to eliminate voter discrimination provisions and gave the Department of Justice greater power to enforce equal rights. In another attempt to ensure equal rights, the Equal Employment... middle of paper... was signed into law in 1973 and Americans headed home following the signs. However, all was not well in the United States. Overall, the war was very unpopular with the public and led to radicalism and polarization among the country's youth. Many universities organized demonstrations, and resistance against the institutions prevailed on university campuses. In 1974, the country's economy was in recession, a direct response to the Vietnam War. The civil rights movement and the Vietnam War were the two major influences on Alice Walker's life and writings. Walker is still alive today and continues to write about social issues that have influenced her life. "Civil Rights and Civil Liberties Movement." American Encyclopedia. 1996 ed.Jackson, Melinda L. "Alice Walker-Womanist Writer." Online. Internet. April 14, 1998. Available http://wwwvms.utexas.edu/~melindaj/alice.html