Civil Rights

Definition of Civil Rights Civil Rights – The positive acts of government that seek to make constitutional guarantees a reality for all people Prohibitions of discrimination.

A short history of discrimination and Civil Rights in America? Slavery Abolished in 1865 with the 13 th Amendment 14 th Amendment, 1865 Passed to protect the rights of former slaves Equal Protection Clause Jim Crow Era (Segregation), 1800 – 1960s Plessy v. Ferguson, 1896 Upheld segregation. Separate-but-equal-doctrine Civil Rights Movement Brown v. Board of Education, 1954 Ended segregation in schools. Montgomery Bus Boycott Ended segregation on buses. Civil Rights Act of 1964, et al. Voting Rights Act of 1965, et al.

Activity Sheet Read, The Brown Decision, Ten Years Later and answer the questions on the worksheet.

Federal Civil Rights Laws The Civil Rights Act of 1964 Outlaws discrimination based on race, color, religion, national origin, or physical disability. The Voting Rights Act of 1965 Abolished state poll tax laws, literacy tests, and appointed federal poll monitors. Affirmative Action A policy requiring that most employers take positive steps to remedy the effects of past discriminations. This applies to all the agencies of the Federal Government, all the states and their local governments, and to all private employers who deal with the Federal Government.

Why Were Civil Rights Laws Enacted in the 1950s and 1960s? The need for government involvement to overcome past discriminations. The need for unjust practices found in the South to be corrected. The need for racial equality.