Tyler Satterfield

HIST 316
9/8/2014
Civil Rights of Minority Groups
Legal Information Institute defines civil rights by the following; A civil right is an
enforceable right or privilege, which if interfered with by another gives rise to an action for
injury. Examples of civil rights are freedom of speech, press, and assembly; the right to vote;
freedom from involuntary servitude; and the right to equality in public places. Discrimination
occurs when the civil rights of an individual are denied or interfered with because of their
membership in a particular group or class. Various jurisdictions have enacted statutes to prevent
discrimination based on a person's race, sex, religion, age, previous condition of servitude,
physical limitation, national origin, and in some instances sexual orientation. What first pops
into your mind when thinking about civil rights for minority groups? For most people it is the
civil rights movement for African Americans famous during the 50s and 60s, but the list of
minority groups that have had their civil rights abused doesnt stop there. Groups such as
Muslims, Asians, Native Americans and even Hispanics have historically been trampled on and
neglected especially within the melting pot we know as the United States of America. Groups
arent just restricted to a persons race. Movements such as disability rights and even womens
suffrage have all started due to discrimination.
We all know the African Americans historic struggle with racism and segregation and it all
started with slavery in the 1800s and was eventually struck down by President Abraham Lincoln
in 1863 with the Emancipation Proclamation. During this time African Americans, men without
property and women were all seen as unequal. Later on in the 50s and 60s, Jim Crow laws at
the local and state levels even prevented African Americans from sharing classrooms,
bathrooms, theaters and even drinking fountains from whites. In 1954, the U.S. Supreme Court
struck down the separate but equal doctrine that created this discrimination which began to
draw national and international attention to the African Americans struggle. In the decade and a
half that followed, civil rights activists used nonviolent protest to bring about change which
eventually led the federal government to make legislative changes with legislature such as the
Voting Rights Act of 1964 and the Civil Rights Act of 1968. Many leaders from within the
African American community and beyond rose to prominence during the Civil Rights era,
including Martin Luther King, Jr., Rosa Parks, Malcolm X, Andrew Goodman and others. Many
risked and sometimes lost their lives for the sake of a noble and just cause. All of the
discrimination against African Americans has legally been removed with the 13
th
(abolishment
of slavery) and 14
th
amendments (not allowing states to enforce laws to discriminate).
Another minority group who has historically had their civil rights abused is the Native
Americans. Since the early days of this country when the first Europeans had discovered what
we now know as the United States of America, the Native Americans have been over run in their
own homeland. In 1830, President Andrew Jackson signed the Indian Removal Act which forced
5 civilized tribes from the Southeastern United States into Indian Territory in Oklahoma. Some
Native American tribes in the southeast were forcibly marched to Oklahoma. Today this march is
called the Trail of Tears. In 1838, the Cherokee tribe was forced to leave their home and march
to Oklahoma. Around 4,000 Cherokee people died during the march. It wasnt until 1924 that the
federal government officially classified American Indians as citizens and not until 1968, after
the Indian Civil Rights Act was passed, were the Native Americans even allowed simple
freedoms such as freedom of speech, press and assembly. Native Americans have been reduced
to living on small reservations and during most of the 1800s were asked to conform to European
culture, traditions and even religion.
One final example of civil rights being abused here in the United States was toward Asian
Americans after the bombing of Pearl Harbor in December 1942. President Franklin D.
Roosevelt signed Executive Order 9066 which allowed the creation of internment camps for
more than 110,000 Japanese Americans and others deemed enemy alien or spy. Other
movements that may be important to know are The Chicano Movement (Mexican Americans),
Gender Equality, LGBT rights and gay liberation and even the Jews during the Holocaust.

Key terms to know

Civil Rights
Civil Rights Act of 1964-banned discrimination in employment practices and public
accommodations
Civil Rights Act of 1968-Banned discrimination in the sale of rental or housing
Jim Crow Laws
Discrimination
Racism
Segregation
Emancipation Proclamation
Little Rock Nine
March on Washington
Montgomery Bus Boycott
Trail of Tears


Civil Rights Leaders
Martin Luther King Jr.
Rosa Parks
Booker T. Washington
Susan B Anthony(Womens right to vote)
Mohandas Gandhi
Nelson Mandela(apartheid)
Elizabeth Cady Stanton(Womens rights)
Cesar Chavez(labor rights)
Mother Teresa(sick and helpless)
Fredrick Douglas (abolitionist)
Malcom X
Lesson Plan Resources
1. Discovery Education -http://www.discoveryeducation.com/teachers/free-lesson-
plans/the-civil-rights-movement.cfm
2. Multiculturalism and Storytelling- Various age levels with multiple minority groups
http://www.uen.org/mcst/lessons.html
3. How Race is Lived in America-
http://events.nytimes.com/learning/general/specials/race/race_lessons.html
4. Library of Congress- http://www.loc.gov/teachers/classroommaterials/themes/civil-
rights/lessonplans.html
5. Discovery Education- http://www.discoveryeducation.com/teachers/free-lesson-
plans/civil-rights-an-investigation.cfm
6. National Civil Rights Museum- http://civilrightsmuseum.org/learn/educators/






Technology Resources
1. Civil Rights Movement Songs CD- Songs written during and around the time of the
African American Civil Rights movement describing the trials and tribulations of this
time.
2. To Kill a Mockingbird (1962) Movie- Movie about a black man who is falsely accused
of a crime against a white woman in small-town Alabama.
3. iCitizen- Mobile app to keep track of political issues and allow you to voice your opinion
and thoughts directly to your elected officials.
4. Interactive Timeline of Civil Rights-
http://www.pbs.org/wnet/aaworld/timeline/civil_01.html
5. My Civil Rights- Mobile app including fast and easy to understand information on the
rights that you need to know.