Weekly Civics Lesson 5

Rights and Liberties: Civil Rights and Equal Protection

Lesson 5: Civil Rights and Equal Protection.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES.

1.  Explain the three key clauses of the 14th Amendment

2.  Identify landmark civil rights legislation and Supreme Court decisions

3.  Understand how equal protection rights have expanded over time

Overview.

Civil rights are the guarantees of equal social opportunities and equal protection under the law, regardless of race, religion, sex, national origin, or other characteristics. The history of civil rights in America is the history of the Constitution's promise being extended — often after great struggle — to those who were originally excluded from it.

 The 14th Amendment (1868).

The cornerstone of civil rights law, ratified after the Civil War. Its three key clauses:

•     Citizenship Clause — All persons born or naturalized in the United States are citizens.

•     Due Process Clause — No state can deprive citizens of life, liberty, or property without due process of law.

•     Equal Protection Clause — States must provide equal protection of the laws to all persons within their jurisdiction.

Landmark Civil Rights Law and Decisions.

•     Brown v. Board of Education (1954) — Supreme Court unanimously ruled racial segregation in public schools unconstitutional.

•     Civil Rights Act of 1964 — Prohibited discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, or national origin in employment and public accommodations.

•     Voting Rights Act of 1965 — Prohibited discriminatory voting practices, including literacy tests used to disenfranchise Black voters.

•     Fair Housing Act of 1968 — Prohibited discrimination in the sale, rental, and financing of housing.

•     Americans with Disabilities Act (1990) — Prohibited discrimination against people with disabilities in employment and public life.

•     Obergefell v. Hodges (2015) — Supreme Court held that same-sex couples have a constitutional right to marry.

CHECK YOUR UNDERSTANDING.

1. Which Supreme Court case ruled that racial segregation in public schools was unconstitutional?

A) Plessy v. Ferguson

B) Marbury v. Madison

C) Brown v. Board of Education

D) Roe v. Wade

Answer: (C) Brown v. Board of Education

Explanation: Brown v. Board of Education (1954) unanimously ruled that racial segregation in public schools violated the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment.

2. The Equal Protection Clause is found in which amendment?

A) 1st Amendment

B) 5th Amendment

C) 13th Amendment

D) 14th Amendment

Answer: (D) 14th Amendment

Explanation: The Equal Protection Clause is part of the 14th Amendment (1868), ratified after the Civil War to protect the rights of formerly enslaved people.

How well did you do with the questions this week?

Next Week’s Lesson:

How Government Works: The Legislative Process.