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Dred Scott v. Sanford determined that enslaved people weren't citizens of the US. Meaning, slaves had no protections under the US Constitution nor the right to sue. -
The 13th amendment establishes the abolishment of slavery and involuntary servitude, except as punishment for crime. Congress may enforce the amendment through legislation. -
The 14th amendment gave citizenship to those born in the US no matter if they were slaves or not and provided citizens with equal protection under laws. Later, it was used to force federal laws into state legislation -
The 15th Amendment prohibits states from denying voting rights based on race, color, or previous employment/servitude -
Plessy v. Ferguson decided that segregation was legal as long as it was equal, and not entirely imbalanced. -
The 19th amendment prohibited states from discriminating against sex when voting. -
Equal Rights Amendment was a proposed amendment to the constitution to prohibit sex discrimination in any practices, however the bill was never ratified. -
Brown v. Board of Education overturned the ruling of Plessy v. Ferguson determining that "separate but equal" and segregating schools by race was unconstitutional. It marked the end o segregation. -
The 24th Amendment abolished all poll taxes -
The Civil Rights Act of 1964 prohibits discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, and national origin in many areas of life jobs, public transportation, or voting. -
Voting Rights Act of 1965 eliminates voting practices and legal barriers that prevented anyone from voting. -
Title IX states that no US citizen shall be excluded or discriminated against based on sex, including sexual harassment, sexual ass, and domestic violence cases. -
Regents of the University of California v. Bakke was a case that determined that college admission based solely on race was unconstitutional due to it violating the Equal Protection Clause, though affirmative action programs were able to be justifiable. -
Bowers v. Hardwick was case based on same sex relationships. Michael Hardwick was arrested for engaging in consensual sex with another adult man. It was determined that men who participate in same sex relationships weren't protected by the constitution. -
Americans with Disabilities Act prohibits discrimination against people with disabilities in many areas of public life. -
Shelby County v. Holder dealt with the Voting Rights Act and stated that it was unconstitutional to deny anyone the right to vote based on race. It invalidated a section of the case allowing states to operate during elections without government oversight. -
Obergefell v. Hodges stated that the 14th amendment requires all states to license marriages between same-sex couples and to recognizes all marriages that were lawfully performed out of state. -
Affirmative Action was a government backed policy that aimed to increase opportunities for people who are underrepresented in society. This included hiring, college admissions, and grants. The Supreme Court has recently overturned their decision and has decided to heavily limit the benefits of affirmative action. -
Voter ID Laws demand votes to present a state issued ID when going to vote. Currently 36 states hold the requirement for it. The laws have impacted many communities of color and lower class citizens, who cannot obtain one. Leading many to believe this purposeful is discrimination.