Homework Reading: "Defining Racism - Can We Talk"?
Underline
three quotes that either stand out to you most, or you have questions about.
What Are Civil Rights?
Protecting civil rights is an essential part of the democratic values of the United States. Everyone realizes that interfering with another's civil rights is a violation that creates an action for injury, but before you can protect your civil rights, you must recognize and know what they are. However, articulating an exact definition of civil rights can be difficult to pinpoint because it is a very broad set of laws. Civil rights are an expansive and significant set of rights that are designed to protect individuals from unfair treatment; they are the rights of individuals to receive equal treatment (and to be free from unfair treatment or discrimination) in a number of settings -- including education, employment, housing, public accommodations, and more -- and based on certain legally-protected characteristics.
Historically, the "Civil Rights Movement" referred to efforts toward achieving true equality for African Americans in all facets of society, but today the term "civil rights" is also used to describe the advancement of equality for all people regardless of race, sex, age, disability, national origin, religion, or certain other characteristics. In the U.S. this has included not only the African American civil rights movement, but also movements that were inspired by the civil rights movement such as the American Indian Movement and the Chicano Movement which occurred during the same time.
Where Do Civil Rights Come From?
Most laws guaranteeing and regulating civil rights originate at the federal level, through federal legislation such as the following laws:
- Age Discrimination Act of 1975
- Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA)
- Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)
- Civil Rights Act of 1964
- Fair Housing Act (FHA)
- Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973
- Voting Rights Act of 1965
Civil rights also come from federal court decisions (such as those handed down by the U.S. Supreme Court, including the landmark Brown v. Board of Education decision).
States also pass their own civil rights laws (usually very similar to those at the federal level) through the state constitution and other laws. The state laws can also be more protective of civil rights than their federal equivalents, including protections for people who identify as LGBTQ. Municipalities like cities and counties can also enact ordinances and laws related to civil rights.
Civil Rights vs. Civil Liberties
Civil rights are different from civil liberties. Traditionally, the concept of civil rights has revolved around the basic right to be free from unequal treatment based on certain protected characteristics (race, gender, disability, etc.), while civil liberties are more broad-based rights and freedoms that are guaranteed at the federal level by the Constitution and other federal law such as fundamental rights including the right to vote, free speech, or the right to privacy.
(Taken from http://civilrights.findlaw.com/civil-rights-overview/what-are-civil-rights.html)
Today's Debrief
Also, Here's the "Most Segregated" article I referenced in class
