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Dred Scott v Sandford
Dred Scott was a former slave and argued that he was a free man since he now lived in a free state. Supreme Court ruled that Americans of African descent, whether free or slave, were not American citizens and could not sue in federal court. -
13th Amendment
During the Reconstruction Era, the 13th amendment abolished slavery and involuntary servitude, except as punishment for a crime. Despite these efforts, the struggle to achieve racial equality for Black Americans and guarantee the civil rights of all Americans has continued till present day. -
14th Amendment
Granted citizenship to all persons born or naturalized in the United States—including former enslaved people—and guaranteed all citizens “equal protection of the laws.” Although this law was passed, Black people were still treated unfairly for decades to come. -
15th Amendment
Prohibits the federal government and each state from denying a citizen the right to vote based on that citizen's "race, color, or previous condition of servitude." Black men were still heavily and violently prevented from exercising their right to vote. It wasn’t until the Voting Rights Act of 1965 that legal barriers were outlawed at the state and local levels if they denied African Americans their right to vote under the 15th Amendment. -
Plessy vs Ferguson
Homer Plessy was 7/8ths white and sat in the "whites only" section. He was convicted under the Separate Car Act in Louisiana, which required separate railway cars for blacks and whites. The Supreme Court ruled that Louisiana's law was constitutional and segregation was not unlawful discrimination. -
19th Amendment
Voting rights should not be denied based on a persons sex. Women are now allowed to vote. However, this amendment did not allow Black women to vote. Black men and women still faced violent aggression when attempting to vote. -
Title IX
Prohibits discrimination based on sex in education programs or activities that receive Federal financial assistance. Unfair treatment, attitudes, or behaviors towards an individual based upon their gender. For example, sexism, sexist attitudes, and sex stereotyping. -
Brown vs Board of Education
African American students were denied attendance to public schools due to racial segregation laws. The Supreme Court ruled that the separate but equal establishments were inherently unequal and violated the 14th amendment. -
Civil Rights Act of 1964
Prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, sex or national origin. For example, it ended segregation in public places and banned employment discrimination on those same basis's. Black people and other minorities could no longer be denied service simply based on the color of their skin. -
Voting Rights Act of 1965
After the civil rights movement, African Americans faced heavy mistreatment and violence when going to exercise their right to vote. This act prohibited the states from using literacy tests and other methods of excluding African Americans from voting. -
Reed vs Reed
The Idaho Probate Code stated that "males must be preferred to females" when appointing administrators of estates. After Sally and Cecil Reed's son passed, Cecil was appointed administrator and Sally challenged the law in court. The Supreme Court ruled that the laws difference in treatment of men and women was unconstitutional. -
Regents of the University of California vs Bakke
Bakke was rejected from UC'S medical school twice. The school reserved places for minority students to prevent unfair minority exclusions. Bakke's qualifications were better than any of the admitted minority students. The Supreme Court did not come to a single majority ruling. They said university's use of racial "quotas" in its admissions process was unconstitutional, but a school's use of "affirmative action" to accept more minority applicants was constitutional in some circumstances. -
Americans with Disabilites Act
Prohibits discrimination against people with disabilities. For example, employment, transportation, public accommodations, etc. The purpose of the law is to make sure that people with disabilities have the same rights and opportunities as everyone else. -
Obergefell vs Hodges
Groups of same-sex couples sued their states agencies to challenge the constitutionality of those states' bans on same-sex marriage or refusal to recognize legal same-sex marriages. The Supreme Court ruled that Due Process Clause of the 14th Amendment guarantees the right to marry as one of the fundamental liberties it protects & it applies to same-sex couples in the same way it does to opposite-sex couples.
