This is a multi-layered question. On the surface, meaning what is naked to the eye, the Civil Rights Movement was successful. As the answer previously posted already indicated, African-Americans can now vote; however, before the Civil Rights Movement, this was impossible. Non-whites can now enjoy being able to dine in the same restaurants where whites are also being served. Non-whites can now patronize the same clothing stores as white Americans. In addition, non-whites can now date and/or marry whites without having to worry about a hate group hunting them down like a soon to be extinct species. As a result of the bravery of the Civil Rights icons that all read about in history, non-whites can now enjoy basic privileges as their white counterparts. Recently, the nation was given a chance to witness the legalization of gay marriage. Many fail to realize that the LGBT community has benefited from the work of the Civil Rights Movement, because they too have been discriminated over their sexual orientation.
On the other hand, the Civil Rights Movement was not successful. Although voting is now a privilege afforded to all, it is not necessarily being offered like it should. In North Carolina, for example, communities of color were denied the right to vote through the voter ID requirement. In the article, "North Carolina's Deliberate Disenfranchisement of Black Voters" Graham (2016) indicated that both Republicans and Democrats agree that the voter ID laws target communities of color since they are more than likely to move frequently, and did not have the means of acquiring one. One can argue that this law is similar to blacks having to pass certain assessment criteria before being given a chance to vote during the 60's. Later in the article, it is stated that voter data was supplied, which gave law makers an indication of voters' voting habit, in which one can infer involved not having an ID readily available. This incident, and similar ones, is reason enough to believe that the Civil Rights Movement was unsuccessful.
In addition, gay or lesbian couples are still being denied the right to adopt in certain places, despite the country's advancement LGBT rights. In the states of Oklahoma and Kansas, gay or lesbian couples are being denied the right to adopt due to religious beliefs of those in power or have access to being able to place children in homes (Miller, 2018). This is another example of how far the Civil Rights Movement has to go. Gay or lesbian couples still have to overextend their assertions that they are capable of rearing a family similar to their straight counterparts.
Sadly, there are many more incidents, some that received nation wide attention, that proves that the fight for Civil Rights is far from over. Many African-Americans have been murdered by law enforcement, but justice was not served. However, the family of Justine Diamond received justice (Furber & Smith, 2018), because her cop killer was charged. One may ask how the recent cop on black murders are related to the Civil Rights Movement. The answer to this question goes back to how and why the movement was started : the injustice of blacks, especially in the South. Many were murdered mercilessly by Klu Klux Klan mobs or fellow white citizens. Justice was never served. Unfortunately, there are too many examples to cite. Nevertheless, stories of black innocent men or women at the hands of law enforcement proves that the Civil Rights Movement was indeed unsuccessful in many ways.
In closing, the Civil Rights Movement was never about being a Republican or Democrat. The Civil Rights Movement was never about white vs black, or religion vs religion. The Civil Rights Movement purpose was for all Americans, from all backgrounds, to enjoy basic freedoms without discrimination. All backgrounds even include intellectual abilities, age, size, physical attractiveness or being unattractive, skin complexion, political affiliations, religious beliefs, class, physical health which includes HIV or herpes status, occupation type, language accents, country of origin, male, female, or transgender. The Civil Rights Movement was for ALL. It is very, VERY unfortunate, that individuals, regardless of their race, continues to face discrimination because they fall in a category that renders them worthless. Yes, this even includes a Republican being ostracized for their beliefs in a Democratic setting. Again, the Civil Rights Movement is not necessarily about race or politics all the time. Instead, the movement is about humanity and being treated like a human being. Sadly, many are not being treated like human beings. More time is needed to see the success of this movement.
References
Graham, D. (2016). North Carolina's Deliberate Disenfranchisement of Black Voters. Available:https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.theatlantic.com/amp/article/493649/
Miller, S. (2018). 3 years after same-sex marriage ruling, protections for LGBT families are undermined. Available:https://www.google.com/amp/s/amp.usatoday.com/amp/650112002
Furber, M. & Smith, M. (2018). Minneapolis Officer charged with murder in Australian's Woman's Death. Available:https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.nytimes.com/2018/03/20/us/minneapolis-police-shooting-justine-damond.amp.html
I will share with you different opinions about the success of the Civil Rights Movement. You will then be able to make your own decision.
One school of thought is that the Civil Rights Movement succeeded. Before the civil rights movement began, African Americans were being denied the right to vote. They had separate public facilities throughout the South. They had separate seating sections on trains and buses. Schools were segregated. There were different drinking fountains for blacks and for whites. African Americans were being threatened, intimidated, and killed by various hate groups. As a result of the civil right movement, many of these conditions ended. Voting restrictions, such as the poll tax and the literacy test, were no longer used to deny African Americans the opportunity to vote. Segregation on buses and trains was made illegal. Separate drinking fountains and separate schools also were no longer legally allowed to exist. There were significant improvements made for African Americans.
Another school of thought is that the Civil Rights Movement did not bring full equality. African Americans continue to experience racism and discrimination. Income and educational levels of African Americans lag behind the levels for white people. There are hate groups that continue to exist that torment African Americans and other groups. Some states have passed voter identification laws that require a person to show identification in order to vote. Some people have argued that this is a way to prevent minorities and the poor from voting since it may be more difficult for them to get the identification cards. Additionally, some states have limited early voting hours, making it harder for people to be able to vote. This school of thought believes that there is a long way to go before full equality will exist between the races.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/guides/zcpcwmn/revision/1
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/have-the-goals-of-the-civil-rights-movement-have-been-achieved/
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/its-time-to-stop-whitewas_b_9158710
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