1963: President Kennedy is assassinated, plunging all Americans into mourning. 1970s: President Nixon resigns after being implicated in the Watergate scandal. Today: President Clinton is impeached, becoming the butt of jokes because of his affair with Monica Lewinsky.
1963: Civil rights leader Medgar Evers is assassinated and his assailant brags about the murder before being acquitted by an all-white jury. 1970s: Americans of all colors are inspired by the television miniseries Roots. Today: Byron de la Beckwith, the murderer of Medgar Evers, is sentenced to life in prison by a mixed-race jury.
1963: Many schools are still racially segregated by law. 1970s: Because of “white flight” to the suburbs, many schools become resegregated. Today: Some blacks begin to question the value of integration and instead work to strengthen all-black institutions
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