Civil Rights Vocab

Affirmative action

Laws or administrative regulations that require a business firm, government agency, labor union, school, college, or other organization to take positive steps to increase the number African Americans, other minorities, or women in its membership

Civil disobedience

opposing a law one considers unjust by peacefully disobeying it and accepting the resultant punishment

Civil rights

the rights of people to be treated without unreasonable or unconstitutional differences

De facto segregation

racial segregation that occurs in schools, not as a result of the law, but as a result of patters of residential settlement

De jure segregation

racial segregation that is required by law

Equality of opportunity

giving people an equal chance to succeed

Equality of Results

making certain that people achieve the same result

Minority-majority districts

House congressional districts that have had their borders drawn in a deliberate effort to make sure the majority of the population in that district in non-white.

Police powers

state power to effect laws promoting health, safety, and morals

Reverse Discrimination

using race or sex to give preferential treatment to some people

Separate but equal doctrine

the doctrine est in Plessy v. Ferguson that African Americans could constitutionally be kept in separate but equal facilities

Strict scrutiny

the standard by which “suspect classifications“ are judged. to be upheld, such a classification must be related to a “compelling government interest,“ by “narrowly tailored“ to achieve that interest, and use the “least restrictive means“ available

Suspect Classification

Classification of people based on their race or ethnicity; laws so classifying people are subject to “strict scrutiny“