Civil rights acts

The Civil Rights Acts

By audreyc

  • 1866

    1866
    All people born in the United States are US citizens and have the right to vote, buy/own property, sue in court, and have full protection of the law. This act is very important because it gives anyone the right to be protected by the law, regardless of who they are. Especially in this political climate, trusting our safety in the law is something that everyone should be able to have.

  • 1871

    1871
    This act was created to protect Black citizens from violence from the KKK. Today, this act can protect people when a state actor violates someone's guaranteed rights. This act is incredibly important to keep because it ensures that people's rights cannot be violated. It still applies to the discrimination and violence that minorities in the US experience today and how this act should be protecting them.

  • 1875

    1875
    This act prohibited racial discrimination in public places, like restaurants and transportation. However, the act was declared unconstitutional in 1883. The fact that this act was repealed goes to show how unjust the government system was/still is towards minorities, especially Black citizens.

  • 1957

    1957
    This act established the Civil Rights Section of the Justice Department to investigate Civil Rights violations and authorized the prosecutions of those who violated the right for citizens to vote. This act is important because it gave more security to those participating in the Civil Rights Movement. It was also the first act to be signed since Reconstruction, starting a new era of change.

  • 1960

    1960
    This act was another addition to strengthen voter rights and expand upon the Civil Rights Act of 1957. It offered assistance to Black citizens to register and vote. However, this caused racial bias against Black voters. This act seems to have had good intentions, but the end result was not effective and it's important to learn from that.

  • 1964

    1964
    This act prohibits the discrimination on the basis of religion, sex, race, or nationality. The passage of this law ended the Jim Crow laws and strengthened the enforcement of the Civil Rights Movement.

  • 1965

    1965
    Eliminated the requirement of the literacy test and poll taxes, as well as the risk of violence, for Black citizens to be able to vote. Once the act was passed, over a quarter of a million Black citizens were registered to vote.

  • 1968

    1968
    An expansion on the Civil Rights Act of 1964 that prohibits discrimination concerning the sale, rental, or financing of housing. Since 1988, the act has expanded to protect those with disabilities and families with children.