In the United States, several important civil rights laws and rules exist. The Voting Rights Act and the Fair Housing Act are two of these. Civil rights are very important to the Supreme Court, and a decision made by the Court can change how civil rights are recognized in all fifty states. Also, the Twenty-Fourth Amendment outlaws poll taxes, which made it harder for poor and minority people to vote and violated their civil rights.
When the ACLU and NAACP started their campaigns in the early 1900s, their main goal was to protect the rights of people. These rights included freedom of speech and association, freedom of religion, and protection from government intrusion. Individual rights have always been among the most important ideas in the United States.
The Bill of Rights wrote down the idea that the government shouldn't take away people's rights. This theory has influenced politicians all over the world. The Bill of Rights was a big step on the path to freedom. But it wasn't used by everyone, leaving out whole groups. For example, until the 19th Amendment was passed, women were not allowed to vote.
The most dangerous thing to freedom is the right to be in charge. A Republican country must protect the rights of each person as much as possible. Some states don't follow this rule, though, so their bills of rights don't fully protect all of these rights.
In the years after Kennedy was killed, millions of regular Americans worked to improve democracy and civil rights for people of color. Historic laws were passed because of what they did. But they also showed how far apart people of different races are.
Protests in Birmingham, Alabama, got people's attention all over the country. Similar to the protests in Albany, Georgia, people in Birmingham filled the jails and forced Eugene "Bull" Connor to step in. President Kennedy did something because of these protests. Many people saw pictures of fire hoses and police dogs attacking peaceful marchers, which made the President Act.
President Kennedy worked to pass civil rights laws while in office. But southern politicians who feared Kennedy's views on civil rights stood in his way. He was afraid of turning off key Southerners if he did something big. But he worked for civil rights in small steps and in different ways. During his time in office, Kennedy gave important jobs to African Americans, like putting Thurgood Marshall on the Second Circuit Court of Appeals. He also helped get people registered to vote.
The Fair Housing Act is a federal law that keeps people from being treated unfairly regarding where they live. It was passed in 1968 and is still in place today. Its goal is to make sure that everyone in the United States has a fair place to live. Even though the Act is still being worked on, on its first anniversary in 1969, HUD officials, politicians, and advocates got together for a big party.
The Fair Housing Act makes it illegal to treat people differently because of their race, religion, sexual orientation, disability, national origin, gender, or sexual orientation. But this definition doesn't work for all kinds of housing. A landlord can't refuse to rent to someone because of their race or gender unless they are in danger of domestic violence.
At first, the Fair Housing Act was made to help integrate the housing industry. It took decades to become law because of political problems and a lack of enforcement. In the 1970s, Secretary George Romney tried to make a white Detroit suburb offer affordable housing. But President Nixon canceled the plan, and Romney quit his job. Then, for 45 years, nothing was done to protect the rights that the Act gave.
The Voting Rights Act is one of the many civil rights laws that protect American citizens. It was passed on August 6, 1965. It was made so that African Americans could vote without problems. It is thought to be one of the most thorough pieces of civil rights legislation in the U.S., and it greatly increased the number of people who can vote. Even though some states have changed the Voting Rights Act, it still works the way it was meant to. In 1964, for example, only 6.7% of black people in Mississippi were registered to vote. But the Voting Rights Act and the 14th Amendment's Equal Protection Clause continue to protect the voting rights of minorities.
The Voting Rights Act has a number of rules that protect the right to vote, such as getting rid of poll taxes and literacy tests. The Act also says that voting laws need to be okayed by the federal government. The Act also has parts that say federal examiners will be hired and given the power to register citizens.
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