What is the definition of the word civil rights

The term civil rights refers to the basic rights afforded, by laws of the government, to every person, regardless of race, nationality, color, gender, age, religion, or disability. This refers to such rights as equal citizenship, equal protection under the law, and due process. Civil rights differ subtly from civil liberties, in that they deal with rights granted by the government, rather than those rights endowed by birth.  To explore this concept, consider the following civil rights definition.

Definition of Civil Rights

Noun

1. The rights to full legal, economic, and social equality, regardless of race, nationality, color, gender, age, religion, or disability.
2. The non-political rights of a person, especially the personal liberties guaranteed by the U.S. Constitution.

Origin

1720-1725       Early American English

What are Civil Rights

Americans define civil rights by what they know about the founding of the nation, gleaning their understanding from words in the Declaration of Independence, which provides that, to secure man’s right to the unalienable rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness,

“governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed; that whenever any form of government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the right of the people to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new government, laying its foundation on such principles, and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their safety and happiness.”

Those unalienable rights, meaning those which cannot be dictated by government, but are rights as a matter of birth, are considered to be “civil liberties.” Civil rights, then are actions taken by government in an attempt to safeguard civil liberties. For instance, the freedom to express oneself, freedom to worship according to one’s own conscience, and the right to protect oneself are civil liberties – rights that are, or should be, held by every person.

The constitutional guarantees of these liberties, and attached prohibitions against government censoring or barring speech or other expression, creation of a government-sponsored religion, or banning of ownership of self-defense weapons, are “civil rights.”

Civil Rights and Oppression

Throughout history, class distinctions between people have seen the oppression of some peoples, while their oppressors stood on their backs to enjoy the society they had created. Such aristocracies have existed in civilizations since the dawn of time. From the earliest days when colonists came to America, something no European aristocrat would voluntarily do, white people sought to enslave blacks. This eventually turned into a lucrative trade in slaves brought to the country from a continent halfway around the world.

Even after the Founding Fathers went to great trouble to put language into the Declaration of Independence, and the U.S. Constitution, declaring that “all men are created equal,” being “endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights,” that sentiment was conferred only on those people of fair skin.

Eventually, slaves became the primary work force in the United States, especially in farming and other types of hard physical labor. An eventual uprising gained sympathy among many Americans, and was the driving force of the Civil War, which raged for just over four years, from April 1861, through May 1865. This example of civil rights revolt was the first salvo in a civil rights movement that would stall for more than a century.

Civil Rights Act of 1866

At the end of the Civil War, a bill entitled “An Act to protect all persons in the United States in their civil rights, and furnish the means of their vindication,” was passed by both houses of Congress and presented to President Andrew Johnson for signature. Although the act boasted that it granted citizenship, and the same rights enjoyed by white citizens, to all male persons in the United States, “without distinction of race or color, or previous condition of slavery or involuntary servitude,” the President vetoed the bill.

In his letter to Congress regarding his veto, President Johnson told Congress that the document contained provisions that were not consistent with his sense of duty to all American people. For instance, the bill declared all those born in the United States, not subject to any other nation’s government, to be U.S. citizens. He pointed out that those people were, according to the Constitution, already citizens, and enacting another law granting them this status was not necessary.

Additionally, while the bill recognized the Chinese people of the Pacific States, Indians subject to taxation, the “Gipsies,” and the entire race designated as blacks, people of color, negroes, mulattoes, and persons of African blood as citizens, it did not confer upon any of them any actual rights of citizenship. There were many other problems with the bill, as it attempted to skirt around the absolute right of the states to govern their own people, creating law that would seem to punish legislators or prosecutors should they create legislation, or impose punishment on a black person that would not be imposed on a white person.

It seems the Civil Rights Act of 1866 was viewed by the radicals as a first step toward fundamental change, and by the moderates as an overture toward readmission of the southern states to Congressional representation. Continuing complaints of persecution of blacks in the South, combined with the hodge-podge, and contradictory, provisions of the bill, solidified Johnson’s belief that the bill in its original state could only cause trouble for the American people. In this example of civil rights pursuit, Congress overturned President John’s veto of the bill by a two-thirds majority vote, and the Civil Rights Act of 1866 became law.

The Civil Rights Movement

The rights of black people in the United States, in spite of the abolition of outright slavery, remained severely restricted, though progress inched along over the 100 years following the enactment of the Civil Rights Act of 1866. However, Black Americans still experienced segregation in all areas of their lives, including being relegated to separate areas in public restrooms, waiting rooms, lunch counters and restaurants, hotels, nursing homes, hospitals, libraries, movie theaters, and public transportation. Black children were required to attend separate schools, and black people could only obtain employment in certain types of jobs. Signs posted in some recreational areas even stated “Negroes and Dogs Not Allowed.”

Black people were denied the right to vote, and intimidation by whites, especially in the southern states, was rampant, as acts of violence, including lynching, was an ever-present threat. In states outside the South, black people had certain legal rights, but in reality, they still suffered from widespread discrimination in where they could live, where their children could attend school, and which jobs they might be hired for.

In 1954, the U.S. Supreme Court declared that racial segregation in schools was unconstitutional. The states, however, balked, arguing that the federal government had no right to interfere in how they managed their systems of public education. Civil rights protests only increased. Martin Luther King Jr. led a boycott to end segregation in public transportation in Alabama, President Dwight D. Eisenhower sent in National Guard troops to enforce the desegregation of an Arkansas high school, and four black college students refused to leave Woolworth’s lunch counter when they were denied service.

The civil rights movement gained full swing in the early 1960s, as it worked towards something that Black Americans had never known: full legal equality. In fact, the Woolworth incident led to sit-ins and other protests at college campuses across the nation, with around 50,000 young adults joining in.

Civil Rights Act of 1964

Civil rights and equality became a central issue during the 1960 presidential election. Following his election, however, President John F. Kennedy was mired by Cold War issues, making him slow to take on the cause of equal rights for Black Americans. In June, 1963, the President proposed a comprehensive civil rights bill, though it had to make it through a number of obstacles in Congress.

Although President Kennedy gained the support of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and his family, he did not see its approval before his death on November 22, 1963. President Lyndon B. Johnson, once the mantle of President fell upon him, used his connections with southern white congressional leaders, as well as the deluge of public sympathy following Kennedy’s assassination, to get the bill passed.

The Civil Rights Act of 1964 made segregation in public places, and in public programs, illegal. It also banned discrimination in employment on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, or religion. The Civil Rights Act of 1964 is still considered the crowning achievement of the American civil rights movement, though the work was not done. Congress expanded legislation guaranteeing equality in civil rights in subsequent years.

Voting Rights Act of 1965

Congress passed a law in 1867 requiring former Confederate states to include suffrage to black male adults and, while those states complied, the northern states were slower to allow black males this basic civil right.

The Fifteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, enacted in 1870, ensures that all Americans have the right to vote, stating:

“The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of race, color, or previous condition of servitude.”

Congress furthered the civil rights cause by enacting the Voting Rights Act of 1965. Nearly 100 years later, the Act was signed by President Johnson, removing barriers at the state and local levels to Black Americans’ right to vote. Among other provisions, the Voting Rights Act of 1965 banned literacy tests and other types of discrimination at the polls.

This was by no means the final example of the civil rights quest, as the Civil Rights Act later brought equal rights to women in collegiate athletics, disabled Americans, and the elderly, and the Fair Housing Act of 1968 prohibited discrimination in the rental, sale, or financing of homes and real property.

Civil Rights Examples in Affirmative Action

Affirmative Action in the United States was a legislative attempt to ensure that members of minority groups had equal opportunities in employment, and later in education. When Franklin Delano Roosevelt signed Executive Order 8802 in 1941, its goal was to prohibit employment discrimination, based on “race, creed, color or national origin,” in government agencies. This extended, then, to any employers who were working on a project contracted by the U.S. government.

The idea behind affirmative action was to level the playing field in employment by making sure everyone has an equal opportunity to receive an education, and an equal opportunity to prove oneself in employment. It was believed that, in such a circumstance, people in groups commonly discriminated against, including Black Americans, women, people with disabilities, and people of minority nationalities, would be fairly represented in America’s workforce.

By the 1970s, many white Americans began complaining that they were being passed over for employment and educational opportunities in favor of people with fewer qualifications, as required by Affirmative Action. Allan Bakke attended the University of Minnesota with his tuition paid on a promise to serve his country by joining the Marine Corps. After receiving his degree, he served four years, including a tour of duty in Vietnam as a commanding officer. Bakke was discharged in 1967, with a rank of captain. He then went to work for NASA as an engineer, but decided to attend medical school so that he could work on the issues of the human body in space.

In 1972, Bakke applied to 12 medical schools, and was denied admittance to all of them, based on his age (he was 33). In 1973, Bakke applied to UC Davis medical school, with a score of 468 points out of 500 on the admissions scale, and a GPA of 3.46. The university, however, adhered to a special admissions program, reserving spaces for “disadvantaged” applicants. Although Bakke also scored extremely well on his admissions interview, being highly recommended for admission, Allan Bakke was sent a rejection notice. All of the spaces had been filled, many by minority applicants who had scored much lower than Bakke.

Bakke Civil Lawsuit

Bakke filed a civil lawsuit against the university, claiming that the special admissions program violated his civil right to not be discriminated against on the basis of his age or race. Although the trial court ruled that the program was indeed unconstitutional, stating “no race or ethnic group should ever be granted privileges or immunities not given to every other race,” the university refused to admit Bakke, and both parties appealed. This very important case eventually made its way to the U.S. Supreme Court, in December 1976.

This case, Regents of the University of California v. Bakke, split the High Court, as five Justices voted to strike down the university’s minority admissions program, ordering that Bakke be admitted. The remaining four Justices disagreed with that portion of the decision, but agreed Affirmative Action was permissible in some circumstances.

In this civil rights example of reverse discrimination, Justice Lewis F. Powell wrote, “the guarantee of Equal Protection cannot mean one thing when applied to one individual and something else when applied to a person of another color.” The Court ruled that schools could still consider race as a factor in the admissions process, but only if it was one of many admission factors.

Related Legal Terms and Issues

• Executive Order – A legally binding order given by the President to direct a federal administrative agency to take a certain action.
• Minority – A group of people who are different from the larger group in a nation.
• Segregation – The practice of restricting certain people to certain constrained areas of residence, or to separate institutions.
• Suffrage – The right to vote.

Civil rights are the rights of individuals to be protected against unfair treatment based on certain personal characteristics like race, gender, age, or disability. Governments enact civil rights laws to protect people from discrimination in social functions such as education, employment, housing, and access to public accommodations.

Civil Rights Definition

Civil rights are a set of rights—established by law—that protect the freedoms of individuals from being wrongly denied or limited by governments, social organizations, or other private individuals. Examples of civil rights include the rights of people to work, study, eat, and live where they choose. To turn a customer away from a restaurant solely because of his or her race, for example, is a civil rights violation under United States laws.  

Civil rights laws are often enacted in order to guarantee fair and equal treatment for groups of people who have historically faced discrimination. In the United States, for example, several civil rights laws focus on “protected classes” of people who share characteristics such as race, gender, age, disability, or sexual orientation.

While now taken for granted in most other western democracies, consideration for civil rights has been deteriorating, according to international monitoring agencies. Since the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, the global war on terror has driven many governments to sacrifice civil rights in the name of security.

Civil Rights vs. Civil Liberties

Civil rights are often confused with civil liberties, which are the freedoms guaranteed to the citizens or residents of a country by an overriding legal covenant, like the U.S. Bill of Rights, and interpreted by the courts and lawmakers. The First Amendment’s right to free speech is an example of a civil liberty. Both civil rights and civil liberties differ subtly from human rights, those freedoms belonging to all people regardless of where they live, such as freedom from enslavement, torture, and religious persecution.

Examples of civil rights include the right to vote, equal access to public education and affordable housing, the right to a fair trial, and the right to use public facilities. Civil rights are an essential component of democracy. When individuals are denied opportunities to participate in political activity, they have been denied their civil rights.

In contrast to natural rights, in which people acquire rights inherently, perhaps from God or nature, civil rights must be given and guaranteed by the power of the state, as in a written constitution. As such, civil rights tend to differ greatly over time, culture, and form of government and tend to follow societal trends that condone or abhor particular types of discrimination. For example, the civil rights of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) community have only recently come to the forefront of political debate in some Western democracies.

Civil rights politics in the United States is rooted in the social and political marginalization of Black Americans beginning in the 1950s and growing throughout the early 1960s. Though enslavement was abolished and formerly enslaved persons were officially granted political rights after the Civil War, Blacks continued to be systematically disenfranchised and excluded from public life in most Southern states, leading them to become perpetual second-class citizens. By the 1950s, the continued discrimination against Black Americans, often taking an extremely violent form triggered a social movement of epic proportions. Based mainly in Black American churches and colleges of the South, the American civil rights movement involved protest marches, boycotts, and extensive efforts of civil disobedience, such as sit-ins, as well as voter education and voter registration drives. While most of these efforts were local in scope, the impact was felt at the national level, culminating with the enactment of landmark civil rights protection legislation such as the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

International Perspective and Civil Rights Movements

Virtually all nations deny some civil rights to some minority groups either by law or by custom. In the United States, for example, women continue to face discrimination in jobs traditionally held exclusively by men. While the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, adopted by the United Nations in 1948, embodies civil rights, the provisions are not legally binding. Thus, there is no worldwide standard. Instead, individual nations tend to respond differently to pressure for enacting civil rights laws.

Historically, when a significant portion of a nation’s people feel they are treated unfairly, civil rights movements emerge. While most often associated with the American Civil Rights Movement, similar notable efforts have occurred elsewhere.

South Africa

The South African system of government-sanctioned racial segregation known as apartheid came to an end after a high-profile civil rights movement that began in the 1940s. When the White South African government responded by jailing Nelson Mandela and most of its other leaders, the anti-apartheid movement lost strength until the 1980s. Under pressure from the United States and other Western nations, the South African government released Nelson Mandela from prison and lifted its ban on the African National Congress, the major Black political party, in 1990. In 1994, Mandela was elected the first Black president of South Africa.

India

The struggle of the Dalits in India has similarities to both the American Civil Rights Movement and the South African anti-apartheid movement. Formerly known as the “Untouchables,” the Dalits belong to the lowest social group in India’s Hindu caste system. Though they make up one-sixth of India’s population, the Dalits were forced to live as second-class citizens for centuries, facing discrimination in access to jobs, education, and allowed marriage partners. After years of civil disobedience and political activism, the Dalits won victories, highlighted by the election of K. R. Narayanan to the presidency in 1997. Serving as president until 2002, Narayanan stressed the nation’s obligations towards the Dalits and other minorities and called attention to the other many social ills of caste discrimination.

Northern Ireland

After the division of Ireland in 1920, Northern Ireland witnessed violence between the ruling British Protestant majority and members of the native Irish Catholic minority. Demanding an end to discrimination in housing and employment opportunities, Catholic activists launched marches and protests modeled after the American Civil Rights Movement. In 1971, the internment without trial of over 300 Catholic activists by the British government sparked an escalated, often-violent civil disobedience campaign headed by the Irish Republican Army (IRA). The turning point in the struggle came on Bloody Sunday, January 30, 1972, when 14 unarmed Catholic civil rights marchers were shot dead by the British army. The massacre galvanized the British people. Since Bloody Sunday, the British Parliament has instituted reforms protecting the civil rights of Northern Irish Catholics.

Sources and Further Reference

• Hamlin, Rebecca. «Civil Rights.» Encyclopedia Britannica.
• «Civil Rights Act of 1964.» U.S. EEOC.
• Shah, Anup. «Human Rights in Various Regions.» Global Issues (October 1, 2010).
• Dooley, Brian. «Black and Green: The Fight for Civil Rights in Northern Ireland and Black America.» (Excerpts) Yale University.
• «Bloody Sunday: What happened on Sunday 30 January 1972?» BBC News (March 14, 2019).

Civil and political rights are a class of rights that protect individuals’ freedom from infringement by governments, social organizations, and private individuals. They ensure one’s entitlement to participate in the civil and political life of society and the state without discrimination or repression.

Civil rights include the ensuring of peoples’ physical and mental integrity, life, and safety; protection from discrimination on grounds such as sex, race, sexual orientation, national origin, color, age, political affiliation, ethnicity, social class, religion, and disability;^[1][2][3] and individual rights such as privacy and the freedom of thought, speech, religion, press, assembly, and movement.

Political rights include natural justice (procedural fairness) in law, such as the rights of the accused, including the right to a fair trial; due process; the right to seek redress or a legal remedy; and rights of participation in civil society and politics such as freedom of association, the right to assemble, the right to petition, the right of self-defense, and the right to vote.

Civil and political rights form the original and main part of international human rights.^[4] They comprise the first portion of the 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights (with economic, social, and cultural rights comprising the second portion). The theory of three generations of human rights considers this group of rights to be «first-generation rights», and the theory of negative and positive rights considers them to be generally negative rights.

HistoryEdit

The phrase «civil rights» is a translation of Latin jus civis (right of the citizen). Roman citizens could be either free (libertas) or servile (servitus), but they all had rights in law.^[5] After the Edict of Milan in 313, these rights included the freedom of religion; however, in 380, the Edict of Thessalonica required all subjects of the Roman Empire to profess Catholic Christianity.^[6] Roman legal doctrine was lost during the Middle Ages, but claims of universal rights could still be made based on Christian doctrine. According to the leaders of Kett’s Rebellion (1549), «all bond men may be made free, for God made all free with his precious blood-shedding.»^[7]

In the 17th century, English common law judge Sir Edward Coke revived the idea of rights based on citizenship by arguing that Englishmen had historically enjoyed such rights. The Parliament of England adopted the English Bill of Rights in 1689. It was one of the influences drawn on by George Mason and James Madison when drafting the Virginia Declaration of Rights in 1776. The Virginia declaration is the direct ancestor and model for the U.S. Bill of Rights (1789).^{[citation needed]}

The removal by legislation of a civil right constitutes a «civil disability». In early 19th century Britain, the phrase «civil rights» most commonly referred to the issue of such legal discrimination against Catholics. In the House of Commons support for civil rights was divided, with many politicians agreeing with the existing civil disabilities of Catholics. The Roman Catholic Relief Act 1829 restored their civil rights.^{[citation needed]}

In the United States, the term civil rights has been associated with the civil rights movement (1954–1968), which fought against racism.^{[citation needed]}

Protection of rightsEdit

T. H. Marshall notes that civil rights were among the first to be recognized and codified, followed later by political rights and still later by social rights. In many countries, they are constitutional rights and are included in a bill of rights or similar document. They are also defined in international human rights instruments, such as the 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the 1966 International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.

Civil and political rights need not be codified to be protected. However, most democracies worldwide do have formal written guarantees of civil and political rights. Civil rights are considered to be natural rights. Thomas Jefferson wrote in his A Summary View of the Rights of British America that «a free people [claim] their rights as derived from the laws of nature, and not as the gift of their chief magistrate.»

The question of to whom civil and political rights apply is a subject of controversy. Although in many countries citizens have greater protections against infringement of rights than non-citizens, civil and political rights are generally considered to be universal rights that apply to all persons.

According to political scientist Salvador Santino F. Regilme Jr., analyzing the causes of and lack of protection from human rights abuses in the Global South should be focusing on the interactions of domestic and international factors—an important perspective that has usually been systematically neglected in the social science literature.^[8]

Other rightsEdit

Custom also plays a role. Implied or unenumerated rights are rights that courts may find to exist even though not expressly guaranteed by written law or custom; one example is the right to privacy in the United States, and the Ninth Amendment explicitly shows that there are other rights that are also protected.

The United States Declaration of Independence states that people have unalienable rights including «Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness». It is considered by some that the sole purpose of government is the protection of life, liberty and property.^[9]

Some thinkers have argued that the concepts of self-ownership and cognitive liberty affirm rights to choose the food one eats,^[10][11] the medicine one takes,^[12][13][14] and the habit one indulges.^[15][16][17]

Edit

Civil rights guarantee equal protection under the law. When civil and political rights are not guaranteed to all as part of equal protection of laws, or when such guarantees exist on paper but are not respected in practice, opposition, legal action and even social unrest may ensue.

Civil rights movements in the United States gathered steam by 1848 with such documents as the Declaration of Sentiment.^{[18][full citation needed]} Consciously modeled after the Declaration of Independence, the Declaration of Rights and Sentiments became the founding document of the American women’s movement, and it was adopted at the Seneca Falls Convention, July 19 and 20, 1848.^{[19][full citation needed]}

Worldwide, several political movements for equality before the law occurred between approximately 1950 and 1980. These movements had a legal and constitutional aspect, and resulted in much law-making at both national and international levels. They also had an activist side, particularly in situations where violations of rights were widespread. Movements with the proclaimed aim of securing observance of civil and political rights included:

• the civil rights movement in the United States, where rights of black citizens had been violated;
• the Northern Ireland Civil Rights Association, formed in 1967 following failures in this province of the United Kingdom to respect the Roman Catholic minority’s rights; and
• movements in many Communist countries, such as the Prague Spring and Charter 77 in Czechoslovakia and the uprisings in Hungary.

Most civil rights movements relied on the technique of civil resistance, using nonviolent methods to achieve their aims.^[20] In some countries, struggles for civil rights were accompanied, or followed, by civil unrest and even armed rebellion. While civil rights movements over the last sixty years have resulted in an extension of civil and political rights, the process was long and tenuous in many countries, and many of these movements did not achieve or fully achieve their objectives.

Problems and analysisEdit

Questions about civil and political rights have frequently emerged. For example, to what extent should the government intervene to protect individuals from infringement on their rights by other individuals, or from corporations—e.g., in what way should employment discrimination in the private sector be dealt with?

Political theory deals with civil and political rights. Robert Nozick and John Rawls expressed competing visions in Nozick’s Anarchy, State, and Utopia and Rawls’ A Theory of Justice. Other influential authors in the area include Wesley Newcomb Hohfeld, and Jean Edward Smith.

First-generation rightsEdit

First-generation rights, often called «blue» rights,^{[citation needed]} deal essentially with liberty and participation in political life. They are fundamentally civil and political in nature, as well as strongly individualistic: They serve negatively to protect the individual from excesses of the state. First-generation rights include, among other things, freedom of speech, the right to a fair trial, (in some countries) the right to keep and bear arms, freedom of religion, freedom from discrimination, and voting rights. They were pioneered in the seventeenth and eighteenth-century during the Age of Enlightenment. Political theories associated with the English, American, and French revolutions were codified in the English Bill of Rights in 1689 (a restatement of Rights of Englishmen, some dating back to Magna Carta in 1215) and more fully in the French Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen in 1789 and the United States Bill of Rights in 1791.^[21][22]

They were enshrined at the global level and given status in international law first by Articles 3 to 21 of the 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights and later in the 1966 International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. In Europe, they were enshrined in the European Convention on Human Rights in 1953.

Civil and political rights organizationsEdit

There are current organizations that exist to protect people’s civil and political rights in case they are infringed upon. The ACLU, founded in 1920, is a well-known non-profit organization that helps to preserve freedom of speech and works to change policy.^[23] Another organization is the NAACP, founded in 1909, which focuses on protecting the civil rights of minorities. The NRA is a civil rights group founded in 1871 that primarily focuses on protecting the right to bear arms. These organizations serve a variety of causes one being the AFL–CIO, which is America’s union that represent the working-class people nationwide.^[24]

See alsoEdit

ReferencesEdit

External linksEdit

• Altman, Andrew. «Civil Rights». In Zalta, Edward N. (ed.). Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy.
• Martin Luther King, Jr. and the Global Freedom Struggle ~ an online multimedia encyclopedia presented by the King Institute at Stanford University, includes information on over 1000 civil rights movement figures, events and organizations
• Encyclopædia Britannica: Article on Civil Rights Movement
• The History Channel: Civil Rights Movement
• Civil Rights: Beyond Black & White – slideshow by Life magazine
• Civil rights during the Eisenhower Administration, Dwight D. Eisenhower Presidential Library

What is Civil Rights Law? Civil rights law is a crucial aspect of legal protection that ensures individuals are afforded equal treatment under the law, free from discrimination and unfair practices.

What Is Civil Rights Law?

The law protects civil rights on a variety of levels, from the individual to the systemic, ensuring that everyone has the opportunity to participate fully in society without prejudice.

Whether you’re interested in fighting against discrimination or defending the rights of those who have been wronged, pursuing a career in civil rights law can be a rewarding and impactful choice.

What Are Civil Rights?

COPYRIGHT_MARX: Published on https://marxcommunications.com/what-is-civil-rights-law/ by Keith Peterson on 2023-04-13T08:35:45.105Z

Civil rights refer to the basic rights and freedoms that are granted to all citizens by law, regardless of their race, gender, nationality, religion, or any other characteristic.

These rights are intended to ensure that individuals can exercise their fundamental liberties and participate fully in society.

Which Definition Best Defines A Civil Right?

A civil right is a fundamental liberty or privilege that is guaranteed to all individuals by law. This definition emphasizes the importance of civil rights in ensuring that everyone can exercise their basic freedoms and participate fully in society.

Civil rights are often enshrined in national and international law, and they are protected by legal and political institutions.

Historical Context

The concept of civil rights has its roots in the struggle for freedom and equality that has taken place throughout history. In the United States, for example, civil rights were first codified in the Constitution and the Bill of Rights.

However, it was not until the Civil War and the Reconstruction Era that civil rights for African Americans began to be recognized and protected by law.

How To Get Into Civil Rights Law

If you are interested in getting into civil rights law, there are several steps you can take:

Education And Training

• Earn a bachelor’s degree in a relevant field, such as political science or pre-law.
• Attend law school and earn a Juris Doctor (J.D.) degree.
• Consider taking courses or pursuing a concentration in civil rights law.

Experience And Networking

• Seek out internships or clerkships with organizations that specialize in civil rights law.
• Volunteer with civil rights organizations or advocacy groups.
• Attend events and conferences to meet other professionals in the field and learn about job opportunities.

Job Opportunities

• Look for job openings with law firms, non-profit organizations, government agencies, and other organizations that focus on civil rights law.
• Consider starting your own practice or working as a consultant in the field.

What Are The 10 Civil Rights?

There are many civil rights that are recognized and protected by law. Here are ten examples:

1. The Right To Vote

This right ensures that every citizen has the opportunity to participate in the democratic process and have a say in how their government is run. This right is protected by national and international laws, and any attempt to infringe on this right is considered a violation of civil rights.

2. The Right To Free Speech And Expression

This right allows individuals to express themselves freely without fear of censorship or retaliation. This right is essential to the functioning of a democratic society, as it allows for the free exchange of ideas and opinions.

3. The Right To A Fair Trial

This right ensures that individuals accused of a crime are given a fair and impartial trial by a competent and neutral judge. This right is essential to ensuring that justice is served and that innocent people are not punished.

4. The Right To Equal Treatment Under The Law

This right ensures that all individuals are treated equally under the law, regardless of their race, ethnicity, gender, or any other characteristic. This right is essential to promoting fairness and justice in society.

5. The Right To Education

This right ensures that all individuals have access to education and the opportunity to learn and grow. This right is essential to promoting equal opportunities and ensuring that everyone has the chance to succeed.

6. The Right To Freedom Of Religion

This right allows individuals to practice their religion freely and without interference from the government or other individuals. This right is essential to promoting religious tolerance and freedom.

7. The Right To Privacy

This right ensures that individuals have the right to control their own personal information and to be free from unreasonable searches and seizures. This right is essential to protecting individual autonomy and preventing government overreach.

8. The Right To Freedom From Discrimination

This right ensures that individuals are protected from discrimination based on their race, ethnicity, gender, religion, or any other characteristic. This right is essential to promoting equality and preventing prejudice and bias.

9. The Right To Due Process Of Law

This right ensures that individuals are entitled to fair and impartial treatment by the legal system. This right is essential to preventing government abuse of power and protecting individual rights.

10. The Right To Peacefully Assemble And Protest

This right allows individuals to gather in groups and express their opinions and grievances without fear of repression or retaliation. This right is essential to promoting free expression and the right to dissent.

What Are The Pros And The Cons Of The Civil Rights Law?

Pros

• Protects individuals from discrimination and ensures equal treatment under the law.
• Promotes diversity and inclusivity in society.
• Helps to create a more just and fair society for all individuals.

Cons

• Some argue that civil rights laws can be overly broad and may infringe on individual liberties.
• The enforcement of civil rights laws can be difficult and may require significant resources.
• There may be disagreements about which rights should be considered civil rights and how they should be defined and protected.

People Also Ask

What Are Some Common Types Of Civil Rights Violations?

Civil rights violations can take many forms, including discrimination, harassment, denial of access to services, and police misconduct, to name a few. Some common examples include employment discrimination, racial profiling, and denial of voting rights.

How Can Individuals Report Civil Rights Violations?

Individuals can report civil rights violations to various government agencies such as the Department of Justice, Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, or state and local human rights commissions. They can also contact civil rights organizations or hire an attorney to file a lawsuit.

What Is The Role Of Civil Rights In The Workplace?

Civil rights in the workplace ensure that employees are treated fairly and free from discrimination based on their race, gender, religion, age, or disability status. This includes protection against harassment, unequal pay, and retaliation for reporting violations.

How Has Civil Rights Law Evolved Over Time In The United States?

Civil rights law in the United States has evolved significantly over time, starting with the Civil Rights Act of 1866, which aimed to protect the rights of newly freed slaves. Other landmark legislation includes the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Voting Rights Act of 1965, and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990.

What Is The Relationship Between Civil Rights And Social Justice?

Civil rights and social justice are closely linked, as civil rights ensure that individuals are treated equally and fairly under the law, while social justice aims to address systemic inequalities and create a more just and equitable society for all. Civil rights are a critical tool in achieving social justice.

Conclusion

Knowing what is civil rights law plays a crucial role in ensuring that everyone is treated fairly and equally under the law. From the right to vote and freedom of speech to the right to a fair trial and freedom from discrimination, civil rights laws protect the fundamental rights of individuals in society.

Whether it’s advocating for the rights of marginalized communities or fighting against injustice, civil rights law offers a unique opportunity to make a difference in the lives of others. By working to protect civil rights, we can help to create a more just and equitable world for all.

Keith Peterson — I’m an expert IT marketing professional with over 10 years of experience in various Digital Marketing channels such as SEO (search engine optimization), SEM (search engine marketing), SMO (social media optimization), ORM (online reputation management), PPC (Google Adwords, Bing Adwords), Lead Generation, Adwords campaign management, Blogging (Corporate and Personal), and so on. Web development and design are unquestionably another of my passions. In fast-paced, high-pressure environments, I excel as an SEO Executive, SEO Analyst, SR SEO Analyst, team leader, and digital marketing strategist, efficiently managing multiple projects, prioritizing and meeting tight deadlines, analyzing and solving problems.