Ch 5 Civil Rights and Public Policy

1. Ch 5Civil Rights and Public Policy Carlos Lorenzana Per.4

2. People fought for laws that protected against discrimination by government or individuals. There are racial, gender, age, sexual orientation and disability inequalities that many discriminate against. Civil Rights and Equality

3. Equality in AMERICA! • “All men are created equal”-Thomas Jefferson Declaration of Independence. • Jefferson owned slaves, and felt that African Americans were inferior to Whites. • There is no equality of opportunity, results, or rewards. • Very little equality in early America.

4. The Constitution and Equality • The word “Equality” does not appear in the Constitution, or the Bill of Rights. • The Bill of Rights only states that there can be no limits on who the amendments affect. • Fourteenth amendment (equal protection of the laws).

5. Race Issues • Eras: Slavery, Segregation, Civil Rights • Slavery • Scott v. Sandford (1857)- Slaves had no rights and Congress couldn’t ban slavery. • Thirteenth Amendment- Forbid slavery • Fourteenth Amendment- “Equal protection of the law”

6. Segregation African Americans were given many more opportunities, but they were still treated poorly and unjustly. Plessey v. Ferguson (1896)- Equal but separate accommodations for White and “colored races.” Separate facilities for different races, but were often not same quality.

7. Civil Rights Brown v. Board of Education (1954)- school segregation was unconstitutional because it violated the Fourteenth Amendment. This case was a landmark case as it ended legal segregation.

8. Civil Rights The first civil rights advocate was Rosa Parks, who refused to give up her bus seat to a white man. Martin Luther King, Jr. fought for equality using peaceful demonstrations. Civil Rights Act of 1964- racial discrimination was illegal in the work place and in hotels and restaurants.

9. Suffrage The Fifteenth Amendment (1870)- gave all minorities the right to vote. States used literacy tests for registering voters, but it was mostly for those of color, not whites. Grandfather clause allowed illiterate whites to vote because of their grandparents eligibility to vote.

10. Suffrage Poll taxes were implemented during hard times so that African American workers couldn’t afford it. “White Primary” was used in the Democratic South to prohibit African Americans from voting in primaries. Twenty-fourth Amendment (1964)- prohibited poll taxes in federal elections. Voting Rights Act of 1965- no barriers stopping African Americans from voting.

11. Other Minorities Native Americans • Although they are the oldest inhabitants of America, they have suffered the most. • In 1924, Native Americans were (finally) given the right to vote and were granted citizenship. • The Native American Rights Fund was created in 1970 to fight for land rights, hunting and fishing restrictions, and sacred lands. • The NARF often create controversy.

12. Other Minorities Hispanics • Largest minority group, fought alongside African Americans during the Civil Rights Movement to stop discrimination. Asians • Suffered from severe discrimination, especially during and after WWII. Many were placed in internment camps. • Korematsu v. United States (1944)-Supreme Court decision that declared these camps as constitutional.

13. Women From the beginning of this nation, women had limited rights and often had no opinion regarding property, marriage, or business matters. This first step for women equality began with suffrage, which was given in 1920 by the Nineteenth Amendment.

14. Women Many laws passed protected women, but did not give them equality. This protection limited women and gave men more opportunities for jobs. Equal Rights Amendment (ERA)- an amendment introduced in 1923 that would give men and women equal rights. It was never fully passed by the state legislatures.

15. Women Feminism was popular again in the 60’s and 70’s. Reed v. Reed (1971)- Supreme Court case against gender discrimination. Women have never been equal to men in the work place, as more men work and are often paid more (comparable worth). There are several protection programs, like the Pregnancy Discrimination Act of 1978.

16. Women Women never had a defined place in the Army, except as nurses and secretaries. Recently, there have been new units like the WACS (Women’s Army Corps) and WAVES (Women Accepted for Volunteer Emergency Service in the navy). Many think that the male-only draft is discriminatory. Sexual harassment

17. Newer Active Civil Rights Groups Senior Citizens • Because of their age, many employers hire younger people as they are most likely to work for longer. • Some acts worked to increase the retirement age to 70 while also fighting age discrimination.

18. Newer Active Civil Rights Groups Disabled • Many who are disabled have been excluded from the workforce, while also having been denied an education and rehabilitation services. • Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, which stated that employers and facilities must make reasonable accommodations for the disabled.

19. Newer Active Civil Rights Groups Gays and Lesbians • Suffer from the most discrimination, especially from those who practice an anti-homosexuality religion. • U.S. gov is mixed on homosexuality. Some Supreme Court decisions and acts oppose homosexuality, while others don’t. • The newest battle is over gay marriage.

20. Affirmative Action A policy designed to give more attention/better treatment to a disadvantaged group (minority). Not equal opportunities, but equal results. Increases minority participation. Regents of the University of California v. Bakke (1978)- White man was denied entrance because lesser qualified minorities took his place.

21. Affirmative Action Adarand Constructors v. Pena (1995)- Supreme Court case stating that any federal program that classified people by race was unconstitutional. Many view affirmative action as unfair, as there may be reverse discrimination.