Civil rights
Personal rights of people to be treated without unconstitutional differences
Separate-but-equal doctrine
Doctrine established in Plessy v. Ferguson. Blacks constitutionally could be in separate facilities than whites
Suspect classification
Laws classifying people by race or ethnicity are subject to strict scrutiny
Strict scrutiny
Standard by which suspect classifications are judged
De jure segregation
Segregation by law
De facto segregation
Segregation by practice, not stemming from laws
Civil disobedience
Opposing unjust laws by peacefully disobeying them
Equality of results
Making certain that people achieve the same result
Equality of opportunity
Giving people an equal chance to succeed
Affirmative action
Laws that require an institution to increase the number of minorities in its membership
Reverse discrimination
Using race or sex to give preferential treatment
13th Amendment
Abolished slavery
14th Amendment
All persons born in the U.S. are citizens & are guaranteed equal protection of the laws - gave Black Americans citizenship
15th Amendement
No denying the right to vote based on race - African Americans could vote
19th Amendment
No denying the right to vote based on gender - women could vote
24th Amendment
Eliminated the poll taxes to vote in national elections
Civil Rights Act of 1964
Prohibited discrimination in public places, provided for the integration of schools and other public facilities, and made employment discrimination illegal
Voting Rights Act of 1965
Outlawed the discriminatory voting practices adopted in many southern states after the Civil War, including literacy tests as a prerequisite to voting
Equal Rights Amendment
The rights guaranteed by the Constitution apply equally to all persons regardless of their sex
Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990
Banned discrimination against the disabled in employment and mandated easy access to all public and commercial buildings