📜Intro to Political Science Unit 7 – Civil Rights

Key Concepts and Definitions

• Civil rights refer to the legal rights and protections granted to individuals regardless of their race, gender, religion, or other characteristics
• Equality before the law is a fundamental principle of civil rights, ensuring that all individuals are treated fairly and justly by the legal system
• Discrimination is the unjust or prejudicial treatment of individuals based on their membership in a particular group or category
  • Discrimination can occur in various forms, such as racial discrimination, gender discrimination, or religious discrimination
• Segregation is the practice of separating individuals or groups based on their race, ethnicity, or other characteristics
  • Segregation can be enforced through laws (de jure segregation) or through social norms and practices (de facto segregation)
• Affirmative action refers to policies and programs designed to promote diversity and address historical inequalities by providing opportunities to underrepresented groups
• Voting rights are the legal rights of citizens to participate in the electoral process and cast their votes without discrimination or suppression

Historical Context

• The United States has a long history of civil rights struggles, rooted in the legacy of slavery and racial discrimination
• The Reconstruction era (1865-1877) following the Civil War saw efforts to grant civil rights to newly freed slaves through constitutional amendments and legislation
  • The 13th Amendment (1865) abolished slavery
  • The 14th Amendment (1868) granted citizenship and equal protection under the law to all persons born in the United States
  • The 15th Amendment (1870) prohibited discrimination in voting based on race
• Despite these amendments, racial discrimination and segregation persisted through Jim Crow laws and practices in the late 19th and early 20th centuries
• World War II and the post-war period saw a growing demand for civil rights, as African American veterans and activists challenged segregation and discrimination
• The Supreme Court's decision in Brown v. Board of Education (1954) declared racial segregation in public schools unconstitutional, setting the stage for further civil rights advancements

Major Civil Rights Movements

• The African American Civil Rights Movement (1954-1968) was a pivotal struggle for racial equality and justice in the United States
  • The movement employed various strategies, including nonviolent resistance, civil disobedience, and legal challenges to segregation and discrimination
• The Montgomery Bus Boycott (1955-1956) was a significant campaign against segregation on public buses in Montgomery, Alabama, sparked by the arrest of Rosa Parks
• The March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom (1963) was a massive demonstration in Washington, D.C., where Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his famous "I Have a Dream" speech
• The Selma to Montgomery marches (1965) were a series of protests in Alabama that led to the passage of the Voting Rights Act, ensuring the right to vote for African Americans
• The Women's Rights Movement gained momentum in the 1960s and 1970s, advocating for gender equality and women's liberation
  • The movement fought for equal pay, reproductive rights, and an end to gender-based discrimination
• The LGBTQ+ Rights Movement has sought to secure equal rights and protections for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer individuals
  • Key milestones include the Stonewall Riots (1969) and the legalization of same-sex marriage by the Supreme Court in Obergefell v. Hodges (2015)

Landmark Legislation and Court Cases

• The Civil Rights Act of 1964 was a comprehensive federal law that prohibited discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, or national origin
  • The act banned segregation in public accommodations and employment discrimination
• The Voting Rights Act of 1965 ensured the right to vote for African Americans by banning discriminatory voting practices and providing federal oversight of elections
• The Fair Housing Act of 1968 prohibited discrimination in the sale, rental, and financing of housing based on race, religion, national origin, or sex
• Brown v. Board of Education (1954) was a landmark Supreme Court case that declared racial segregation in public schools unconstitutional
• Loving v. Virginia (1967) struck down state laws banning interracial marriage, affirming the right to marry regardless of race
• Roe v. Wade (1973) established a constitutional right to privacy and legalized abortion nationwide, though it was later overturned in Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization (2022)

Key Figures and Organizations

• Martin Luther King Jr. was a prominent civil rights leader who advocated for racial equality through nonviolent resistance and civil disobedience
  • King's leadership during the Montgomery Bus Boycott, the March on Washington, and other campaigns made him a symbol of the Civil Rights Movement
• Rosa Parks was an African American civil rights activist whose refusal to give up her bus seat to a white passenger in Montgomery, Alabama, sparked the Montgomery Bus Boycott
• Malcolm X was an influential African American leader who advocated for black empowerment and self-determination, often through more militant means than King
• The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) is a civil rights organization founded in 1909 that has worked to promote racial equality through legal action and advocacy
• The Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) was a civil rights organization founded by Martin Luther King Jr. and other activists to coordinate nonviolent protests and campaigns
• The Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) was a youth-led civil rights organization that played a key role in sit-ins, freedom rides, and voter registration drives

Constitutional Foundations

• The Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment prohibits states from denying any person equal protection under the law, serving as a basis for many civil rights cases
• The Due Process Clause of the 5th and 14th Amendments ensures that individuals cannot be deprived of life, liberty, or property without due process of law
  • The concept of substantive due process has been used to protect certain fundamental rights, such as privacy and marriage
• The 15th Amendment prohibits the denial of voting rights based on race, color, or previous condition of servitude
• The 19th Amendment granted women the right to vote, prohibiting discrimination in voting based on sex
• The 24th Amendment banned poll taxes as a requirement for voting, which had been used to disenfranchise African American voters
• The incorporation doctrine has applied the Bill of Rights to the states through the 14th Amendment, ensuring that states must also protect individual rights and liberties

Impact on Modern Politics

• The Civil Rights Movement and subsequent legislation have had a profound impact on modern American politics and society
• The Voting Rights Act has increased political participation and representation of minority groups, particularly African Americans
  • However, recent challenges to the act, such as Shelby County v. Holder (2013), have raised concerns about the resurgence of voter suppression efforts
• Affirmative action policies have been implemented in education and employment to promote diversity and address historical inequalities
  • These policies have faced legal challenges and debates over their constitutionality and effectiveness
• The election of Barack Obama as the first African American president in 2008 was a significant milestone in the struggle for racial equality
• The Black Lives Matter movement, founded in 2013, has brought attention to issues of police brutality, racial profiling, and systemic racism in the criminal justice system
• LGBTQ+ rights have seen significant advancements, including the legalization of same-sex marriage and the expansion of anti-discrimination protections

Ongoing Challenges and Debates

• Despite progress in civil rights, racial disparities persist in areas such as education, employment, housing, and the criminal justice system
  • These disparities have been highlighted by incidents of police violence against African Americans and the disproportionate impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on communities of color
• Voting rights remain a contentious issue, with debates over voter identification laws, gerrymandering, and other measures that may disproportionately affect minority voters
• Affirmative action continues to be a subject of debate, with disagreements over its effectiveness, fairness, and constitutionality
  • The Supreme Court has upheld affirmative action in cases like Grutter v. Bollinger (2003) but has also placed limitations on its use in cases like Fisher v. University of Texas (2016)
• Transgender rights have emerged as a prominent civil rights issue, with debates over access to public facilities, healthcare, and participation in sports
• The intersection of civil rights with other issues, such as immigration, religious freedom, and free speech, has created complex legal and political challenges
• Addressing ongoing civil rights challenges requires a combination of legal action, policy reforms, and societal change to ensure equal rights and opportunities for all individuals