Lecture & Discussion 3: Civil Rights & Equal Protection

1. Unit 3: The Judiciary/ Civil Rights & Liberties Lecture & Discussion 3: Civil Rights & Equal Protection

2. Do Now Read the case summary for Brown v. Board of Education (1954) and respond to the prompts. What was Jim Crow? How did it impact African Americans throughout the South? What case established the doctrine “separate but equal.” What was its impact? What case overturned Plessy? What was the Court’s interpretation of Amendment 14? Jim Crow was a series of laws passed in southern states in the 1800s that enforced segregation and denied equality to blacks. Plessy v. Ferguson (1896) established “separate but equal,” which constitutionally upheld racial segregation in public facilities. Brown v. Board (1954) established that “separate but equal” was unconstitutional under the Equal Protection Clause in the Fourteenth Amendment.

3. Political Dictionary Record the following terms. • civil rights • Amendment 14: Equal Protection Clause • Jim Crow Laws • “separate but equal” • Civil Rights Act (1964) • Voting Rights Act (1965)

4. Essential Question Record and consider possible responses to the essential question. How have civic participation, federal legislation, and Supreme Court rulings provided equality for minority groups in this country?

5. Introduction \Read 7.1: “Struggle for Civil Rights” Timeline. How did the ruling in Dred Scott (1857) differ from the passage of 14th Amendment (1868)? Compare the rulings in Plessy v. Ferguson (1896) and Brown v. Board (1954). What significant legislation was passed in 1964? What was its impact? Dred Scott denied citizenship, whereas the Fourteenth Amendment extended citizenship rights to African Americans. Plessy legalized public segregation by establishing “separate but equal,” whereas Brown ruled it was unconstitutional. The Civil Rights Act was passed in 1964, which bans discrimination and promotes equal rights.

6. Reading Notes Read Chapter 7.2: Citizenship and Rights. • Define civil rights. • Record the Equal Protection Clause. • What is its purpose? Civil rights are guarantees of equal treatment under the law, which are provided through federal legislation and Court interpretations. “No state shall…deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the law.” Fourteenth Amendment (1868) The purpose is to prevent states from passing discriminatory laws, which provided support and motivation for social movements that expanded the rights of minorities.

7. Reading Notes Read Chapter 7.2: Citizenship and Rights. • Take notes on the following significant civil rights legislation. • Civil Rights Act (1964) • The legislation ended segregation in public places and banned employment discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex or national origin.

8. Reading Notes Read Chapter 7.2: Citizenship and Rights. • Take notes on the following significant civil rights legislation. • Voting Rights Act (1965) • The legislation prohibited racial discrimination in voting, including use of literacy tests as a voting requirement.

9. Reading Notes Read Chapter 7.2: Citizenship and Rights. • Take notes on the following significant civil rights legislation. • Education Amendments Act (1972) • Title IX prohibited the discrimination on the basis of sex in any education program or activity that receives federal funding.

10. Reading Notes Read Chapter 7.2: Citizenship and Rights. • Take notes on the following significant civil rights legislation. • Equality Act (2019) • The legislation would amend the Civil Rights Act of 1964 to include protections that ban discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity.

11. Activity The Naturalization Test

12. Activity To become a naturalized citizen, you must pass the naturalization test. At your naturalization interview, you must take an English and civics test. There are 100 civic questions on the naturalization test. During the naturalization interview, you will be asked up to 10 questions from the list of 100 questions in English. You must answer correctly six (6) of the ten (10) questions to pass the civics test in English. Take a sample test at: https://www.cnn.com/2017/03/07/us/us-citizenship-quiz-trnd/index.html

13. Processing Discuss the prompts: If you were trying to become a U.S. citizen, would you have passed the test? How well does the test prepare naturalized citizens to make a difference in our democracy? Should all citizens – regardless of where they were born – have to pass a test like this every five years in order to maintain citizenship?