In the 1960s, Americans who knew only the potential of "equal protection of the laws" expected the president, the Congress, and the courts to fulfill the promise of the 14th Amendment. In response, all three branches of the federal government--as well as the public at large--debated a fundamental constitutional question: Does the Constitution's prohibition of denying equal protection always ban the use of racial, ethnic, or gender criteria in an attempt to bring social justice and social benefits? In June 1963, President John Kennedy asked Congress for a comprehensive civil rights bill, induced by massive resistance to desegregation and the murder of Medgar Evers. After Kennedy's assassination in November, President Lyndon Johnson pressed hard, with the support of Roy Wilkins and Clarence Mitchell, to secure the bill's passage the following year. In 1964, Congress passed Public Law 88-352 (78 Stat. 241). The Civil Rights Act of 1964 prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, sex or national origin. Provisions of this civil rights act forbade discrimination on the basis of sex, as well as, race in hiring, promoting, and firing. The Act prohibited discrimination in public accommodations and federally funded programs. It also strengthened the enforcement of voting rights and the desegregation of schools. The Civil Rights Act of 1964 is the nation's benchmark civil rights legislation, and it continues to resonate in America. Passage of the Act ended the application of "Jim Crow" laws, which had been upheld by the Supreme Court in the 1896 case Plessy v. Ferguson, in which the Court held that racial segregation purported to be "separate but equal" was constitutional. The Civil Rights Act was eventually expanded by Congress to strengthen enforcement of these fundamental civil rights. The First Amendment proved to be a crucial tool for the civil rights movement of the 1950s and 1960s, as ministers preached, protesters marched, organizations litigated, advocates petitioned, and the press reported on racial discrimination. The expressive actions of protesters and activists also led to the considerable growth of First Amendment precedent. The movement witnessed such an expansion of free expression principles through First Amendment cases that scholar Harry Kalven Jr. wrote, “We may come to see the Negro as winning back for us the freedoms the Communists seemed to have lost for us.” Below is a list of Supreme Court cases involving First Amendment rights related to the Civil Rights Movement. - Adderley v. Florida (1966)
In Adderly v. Florida (1966), the Supreme Court said stopping protestors from blocking access to a jail did not suppress their First Amendment freedoms... - Bates v. Little Rock (1960)
In Bates v. Little Rock (1960), the Court affirmed that freedom of association finds protection within the First Amendment’s free speech and assembly clauses... - Bond v. Floyd (1966)
Bond v. Floyd (1966) held that legislators do not forfeit their right to speak on public issues, reaffirming that the First Amendment protects controversial... - Brown v. Louisiana (1966)
Brown v. Louisiana (1966) ruled that a sit-in demonstration protesting segregation in a public library was protected symbolic speech under the First Amendment... - Cox v. Louisiana (1965)
In Cox v. Louisiana, the Supreme Court overturned a state law used to arrest civil rights marchers saying the law infringed upon freedoms of assembly and speech... - Edwards v. South Carolina (1963)
Edwards v. South Carolina (1963) said South Carolina violated students’ First Amendment rights when the police dispersed a peaceful protest against... - Garner v. Louisiana (1961)
In Garner v. Louisiana, the court ruled that a Louisiana breach of the peace law was too vague to be applied to the peaceful sit-ins used by civil rights... - Gibson v. Florida Legislative Investigation Committee (1963)
In Gibson v. Florida Legislative Investigation Committee, the court held that the state must show compelling interest to intrude on First Amendment rights... - Gregory v. City of Chicago (1969)
In Gregory v. City of Chicago, the Court upheld the First Amendment rights of peaceful protestors over police attempting to quell anticipated civil disorder... - NAACP v. Alabama (1958)
In NAACP v. Alabama (1958), the Court ruled that the First Amendment protected the free association rights of the NAACP and its rank-and-file members... - NAACP v. Button (1963)
NAACP v. Button (1963) was important not only to First Amendment jurisprudence but also to the vitality of public interest law firm litigation in general... - New Negro Alliance v. Sanitary Grocery Co., Inc. (1938)
In New Negro Alliance v. Sanitary Grocery Co., Inc. (1938), the Supreme Court ruled that pickets that were a peaceful and orderly dissemination of information... - Shuttlesworth v. Birmingham (1969)
Shuttlesworth v. Birmingham (1969) ruled that the conviction of the Rev. Fred Shuttlesworth for leading a protest march without a permit violated the First... - Walker v. City of Birmingham (1967)
In Walker v. City of Birmingham (1967), the Court refused to look at whether a court order against Birmingham civil rights protestors violated the First...
What are 4 civil rights?
Examples of civil rights include the right to vote, the right to a fair trial, the right to government services, the right to a public education, and the right to use public facilities.
What are your 5 civil rights?
The five freedoms it protects: speech, religion, press, assembly, and the right to petition the government. Together, these five guaranteed freedoms make the people of the United States of America the freest in the world.
Which of the following does the term civil rights refer to?
Civil rights are the rights of individuals to be protected against unfair treatment based on certain personal characteristics like race, gender, age, or disability.
What are examples of civil rights quizlet?
Terms in this set (7). One. The right to equal treatment under the law.. Two. The right to vote in elections.. Three. The right to a fair trial.. Four. The right to equality of opportunity.. Five. The right to have an education.. Six. The right to freedom of speech, expression, and religion.. Seven. The right to freedom of movement..
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