Civil Rights, Civil Liberties, and Race

What are civil liberties?

Limitations on government power designed to protect citizens’ fundamental freedoms, rooted in the Bill of Rights.

What constitutes the Bill of Rights?

The first 10 amendments to the Constitution, ratified in 1791.

Civil Rights = ?

Equality for all communities.

What guarantees civil rights?

The government guarantees that it will treat people equally, particularly historically marginalized groups.

What clause is civil rights rooted in?

The Equal Protection Clause of the 14th amendment.

What does the Equal Protection Clause state?

No state shall deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws.

What historical issue has defined American politics since 1787?

Race and civil rights.

What amendment abolished slavery?

The 13th amendment in 1865.

What was a key compromise regarding slavery during the drafting of the Constitution?

Keep slave trafficking legal for 20 more years.

What was the impact of the Reconstruction period?

It briefly allowed Black civil rights to flourish.

What Supreme Court case ruled that segregated schools were inherently unequal?

Brown v. Board of Education in 1954.

What critical legislation did President Johnson sign in 1964?

The Civil Rights Act, prohibiting discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, and national origin.

Which political party has been largely supportive of immigration?

The Democratic Party.

What change occurred in the Republican Party's stance on immigration after 2016?

The party became more opposed to immigration and started a deportation campaign.

What type of racism involves conscious beliefs about racial differences?

Old Fashioned racism.

What is unconscious racism?

Unconscious beliefs about racial differences that motivate actions.

What is structural/systemic racism?

Institutions or systems that disproportionately disadvantage certain groups.

What does De Jure discrimination mean?

Explicit discrimination codified into law.

What is De Facto discrimination?

Discrimination that has the effect but not the explicit form of discrimination.

What is Policy Drift?

When a policy's intended purpose changes over time, causing unintended discrimination.

What does Critical Race Theory (CRT) analyze?

The connection between racism and policy.

What key concepts are a part of CRT?

Structural Racism, Intersectionality, Unconscious racism, Critique of neoliberal race policy.

How has systemic racism favored White people in America?

Through laws and institutions that have historically disadvantaged non-White populations.

What issues have contemporary civil rights faced?

Police violence, voter suppression, and systemic discrimination.

What does illegal deportation signify in systemic racism?

Denial of due process to immigrants.

What are some examples of contemporary systemic discrimination?

Racial disparities in sentencing and hiring discrimination.

How can systemic racism be addressed?

Through changes in public policy to ensure equality.

What was the purpose of the Civil Rights Act of 1964?

To prohibit discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, and national origin.

What does the term 'intersectionality' refer to in CRT?

The overlapping of various social identities that create unique experiences of oppression.

What was a significant effect of the 14th Amendment?

It established the principle of equal protection under the law.

What role did Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. play in civil rights legislation?

He pressured for the passage of the Civil Rights Act.

What historical injustice does convict-leasing exemplify?

The continuation of slavery-like conditions under the guise of penal labor.

What is the significance of the 1984 Supreme Court ruling?

It reinforced the principles of the Civil Rights Act.

What demographic change occurred in the U.S. population post mid-20th century?

Increased diversity with more immigrants from Central and South America, and Asia.

What do 'Stop and Frisk' policies exemplify?

An application of structural racism within law enforcement practices.

What was a common response of the federal government during the Reconstruction?

Occupying Southern states to protect the rights of freed slaves.

How does the education system reflect systemic racism?

Through funding disparities based on local property taxes.

What kind of community does systemic discrimination affect significantly?

Non-White populations experiencing growth.

What did the Southern states enact after the North withdrew from Reconstruction?

Jim Crow laws enforcing segregation.