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13th Amendment
The 13th amendment abolished slavery. -
14th Amendment
it addressed citizenship rights & equal protection of the laws to former slaves following the American Civil War. -
15th Amendment
This amendment granted African Americans the right to vote. -
Plessey v. Ferguson
Homer Plessey was 1/8 black, he bought a first class ticket, but was arrested for refusing to move the 'whites only' section. He was charged w/ Seperate Car Law, & he went to District court in Orleans but was found guilty, then appealed to the Louisiana Supreme Court & found guilty for a 2nd time, then they appealed to the US Supreme Court, found guilty after looking to see his violations of the 13th & 14th Ammendment. -
Mendez v. Westminster
Gonzalo Mendez went to school with anglo kids but now his kids could not attend the same school he did, they would have to move to another district. Come to find out many other districts had this problem. Mendez filed a class action suit in a US District Court on behal of 5,000 others. As the court was trying to decide the judge went to other schools to see for himself. Judge McCormick decided to interegrate schools. - 14th amendment. -
Delgado v. Bastrop ISD
Minerva Delgado filed a suit on behalf of Mexian American children in 5 different school districts w/ 20 other parents with the support of LULAC and legal assisstance from Gus Garcia. The attorneys argued that the school districts "prohibitted, barred, & excluded Mexican American kids under the violation of the equal protection of the laws guaranteed by the US 14th amendment. Judge Ben Rice agreed & issued an injunction against the school districts forbidding them to segregate students. -
Sweatt v. Painter
Herman Sweatt was an Af/Am mail carrier who wanted to be a lawyer. He gave his graduate transcrippt to the president, Theophilus Painter to apply. Since there was no law school in TX for blacks, he was admitted. Painter turned to the Attorney General for his opinion that was " he must be admitted, however the state is entitled to a notice. Once recieved, Painter denined his admission. He filed suit against Painter. Going to SC, they found equal protection clause clause under the 14th Amendment, -
Brown v. Board of Education
Linda Brown-3rd grader was not premitted to attend a school 5 blocks away from her house, instead had to walk 21 blocks to get to school. Brown's parents joined others & brought a suit against the school board of education in Topeka, Kansas. Thurgood Marshall-attorney argued that different schools are having issues as well. Case was appealed to Supreme Court along with 3 others, equal protection of laws guaranteed by the 14th amendment. -
Hernandez v. Texas
Pete Hernandez was a mex/am cotton picker who was drinking at a bar in Edna & all of a sudden became disruptive & was told to leave. He went home got his gun & shot Joe Espinosa-soon accused of murder. His lawyer tried to get a jury not involved, he argued that there were no mex/am descents who have been apart of a jury. His lawyer argued that the exclusion of mex/am descent deprived him of the equal protection of the law in 14th amend. The judge denied the motions, soon he will b found guilty. -
Civil Rights Act 1957
A voting right bill that the first civil rights legislation passed by congress in the US. -
Civil Rights Act 1964
A fedral law that authorized fedral action against segergation in public facillities and employment. -
24th Amendment
This amendment prohibits requiring a poll tax for voters in federal elections. -
Voting Rights Act 1965
A law passed at that eliminated various devices such as literacy tests, that had tradionally been used to restrict voting by African Americans. -
Edgewood v. Kirby
MexAm parents filed a violation to public school finances against TX Commissioner of Edu. William Kirby saying it violated TX Constitution. District Court found it to be uncontstitutional. They appealed to the TX 3rd Coourt of Appeals, which reversed the DC's decision & found constitutional. Taking it to SC, they found the state's public school finance system in violation of section 1 of the TX Constitution.
