Chapter_5_-_Civil_Rights_

Chapter 05: Civil Rights

Civil rights ensure equal opportunity and protection under government obligations.
Grounded in the ideals of liberty, equality, and justice as seen in key documents like the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution.
Civil rights include:
- Right to vote.
- Right to attend desegregated schools.
- Rights for individuals with disabilities against discrimination.
Civil rights laws focus on extending citizenship rights to historically discriminated groups.

Civil Liberties: Basic personal freedoms outlined in the Bill of Rights, limiting government actions.
Civil Rights: Evolve through social movements as groups campaign for new rights, requiring government action to ensure equality.
Protecting civil rights often requires increased government power.

Civil rights primarily arise from sustained social movements aiming for political or social goals.
Social Movements: Campaigns that enable collective action among individuals facing disadvantage.
Collective Action: Organizing as a group based on shared goals.

Strategies vary based on the political environment:
- Inside Strategy: Engage with political institutions to achieve goals; includes legislation, court victories, and executive orders.
- Outside Strategy: Mobilizes public support through protests and demonstrations to shift public opinion.

Awareness raising about social injustices has historically influenced voters.
Movements that gain public support expand their focus to influence formal political institutions like Congress and the Presidency.

During the 1965 debate over voting rights, President Lyndon B. Johnson advocated for legislation influenced by civil rights protests; resulting in the passage of the Voting Rights Act.

Congressional action often progresses slowly, yet successful movements engage in drafting laws and lobbying for support.

The Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment is critical for guaranteeing civil rights.
Supreme Court cases have shaped the interpretation of civil rights over time.

A history of discrimination and enslavement leads to ongoing civil rights struggles, referred to as the "long civil rights movement."

Resistance against slavery led by individuals including Frederick Douglass in the early 19th century through public speaking and literature.

Dred Scott v. Sanford: Ruling that denied citizenship to Black individuals, stoking national tensions.

Following the Civil War, the Thirteenth, Fourteenth, and Fifteenth Amendments redefined civil rights by abolishing slavery and guaranteeing rights for all citizens.

Black Americans during Reconstruction pushed for rights; the Civil Rights Act of 1866 affirmed citizenship and equality.

Following Reconstruction, discriminatory Jim Crow laws institutionalized racial segregation upheld by the Supreme Court in Plessy v. Ferguson (1896).

The NAACP was formed to combat racial violence, advocating through media and demonstrations, leading to a decline in lynching.

In the 1950s, the NAACP’s challenge culminated in Brown v. Board of Education, which declared segregation in public schools unconstitutional.

Initiatives like the Montgomery Bus Boycott (Rosa Parks) and the sit-ins by students were pivotal in achieving desegregation.

The Civil Rights Act of 1964 banned discrimination in public accommodations and employment based on race, color, sex, or national origin.
The Voting Rights Act of 1965 strengthened voting protections by eliminating literacy tests and monitoring voter registration.

Following landmark decisions and civil rights acts, issues such as affirmative action and workplace discrimination persist, with significant court cases influencing outcomes.

Women's rights, disabilities, LGBTQ rights, and civil rights for Latino, Asian American, and Native American communities have all evolved.
Notable movements include the fight for equal marriage rights, the #MeToo movement, and advocacy against Islamophobia post-9/11.

The Black Lives Matter movement emerged in response to systemic racism, highlighting ongoing discrimination in policing and criminal justice.
Emphasizes unity among diverse groups pursuing civil rights.