80’s Social Concerns

Urban Crisis high unemployment bad infrastructure inadequate funds for sanitation and

health services Deteriorating schools Growing divide between wealthy

and poor LA Riots after beating of Rodney

King

Rodney King Tape

Minority GroupsAfrican Americans-greater political profile

-Jesse Jackson runs for president

Latin Americans

-9% of population and growing

-issues of bilingual education

Minority Groups (cont.)Native Americans

-ancestral lands returned

-Reagan slashed aid to Native Americans opened up casinos

Women Unable to get Equal Rights

Amendment ratified Geraldine Ferraro-1st female VP

candidate Sandra Day O’Connor-1st female

justice on the Supreme Court Earn 75 cents for every $1 men make Pay Equity: pay rates based on job

requirements (amt. of education, experience, physical strength, etc.) in 20 states by 1989

Family benefits questioned-should a man be able to get time off to stay with newborn?

AbortionRoe v. Wade of 1973

Pro-Life v. Pro-choice

Webster v. Reproductive Health Care Services: states have right to impose restrictions on abortion

Gay RightsSetback due to AIDS crisis

More activist groups promoting anti-gay discrimination rise by the end of the decade

Health Issues AIDS: virus that destroys

immune system and weakens body via the sharing of bodily fluids

Homosexual men, needle sharing, contaminated blood transfusions, infected mothers giving it to child

Drug Abuse Nancy Reagan’s

“Just Say No!” Campaign

Should U.S. legalize certain drugs?

Should we increase money spent on treatment facilities?

Education A Nation at Risk: 23

million Americans cant follow instruction manual or fill out job application

More homework, longer days and year, increased pay for teachers