The Color Purple: Historical and Political Overview Alice Walker's writings were greatly influenced by the political and societal events that surrounded her during the 1960s and 1970s. Not only did she write about the events that were unfolding, but she also participated in them. His time and energy dedicated to the company is 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 considered inferior to men. Events that occurred during and before the writing of The Color Purple had a considerable impact on the point of view of the novel. The civil rights movement had the greatest influence on Walker's writings. In a decision handed down by the Supreme Court in 1954, civil rights began. In Brown v. The Board of Education, the court ruled that segregated educational facilities were inherently unequal because they made African American children feel inferior and stunted their educational and mental development. This case sparked the civil rights uprising in the United States. The Civil Rights Act of 1964 prohibits businesses involved in interstate commerce from discriminating when choosing their employees. If these companies did not comply with the law, they would lose the funds granted to them by the government. Another law passed to guarantee equality for blacks was the Voting Rights Act of 1965. This law, which was readopted and amended in 1970, 1975, and 1982, contained a plan to eliminate voting discrimination devices and gave the Department of Justice more power to enforce equal rights. In another attempt for equal rights, the Equal Employment...... middle of paper ...... ally signed in 1973 and Americans returned home following the signage. However, all was not well in the United States. Overall, the war was very unpopular with the public and led to radicalism and polarization of the country's youth. Many universities held protests and resistance against institutions was widespread on college campuses. By 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 main influences on Alice Walker's life and writings. Walker is still alive today and continues to write about the social issues that affected his life. "Civil Rights and Liberties-Civil Rights Movement". American Encyclopedia. 1996 ed. Jackson, Melinda L. "Alice Walker-Womanist Writer." Online. Internet. April 14, 1998. Available at http://wwwvms.utexas.edu/~melindaj/alice.html