Therese Harasymiw - Justice for All: Landmark Civil Rights Court Cases

Published in 2020 by

Lucent Press, an Imprint of Greenhaven Publishing, LLC

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Copyright 2020 Greenhaven Press, a part of Gale, Cengage Learning

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All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form without permission in writing from the publisher, except by a reviewer.

Designer: Deanna Paternostro

Editor: Diane Bailey

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Names: Harasymiw, Therese, author.

Title: Justice for all: landmark civil rights court cases / Therese Harasymiw.

Description: New York: Lucent Press, 2020. | Series: Lucent library of Black history | Includes bibliographical references and index.

Identifiers: LCCN 2019022200 (print) | LCCN 2019022256 (ebook) | ISBN 9781534568648 (library bound book) | ISBN 9781534568679 (pbk. book)

Subjects: LCSH: African Americans-Civil rights-Cases.

Classification: LCC KF4757 .H37 2020 (print) | LCC KF4757 (ebook) | DDC 342.7308/73-dc23

LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2019022200

LC ebook record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2019022256

Printed in the United States of America

Some of the images in this book illustrate individuals who are models. The depictions do not imply actual situations or events.

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CONTENTS

FOREWORD

F rom medicine and law to sports and literature, African Americans have played a major role in the history of the United States. However, these groundbreaking men and women often faced prejudice and persecution. More than 300 years ago, Africans were taken in chains from their home and enslaved to work for the earliest American settlers. They suffered for more than two centuries under the brutal oppression of their owners until the outbreak of the American Civil War in 1861. After the dust settled four years later and thousands of Americansboth black and whitehad died in combat, slavery in the United States had been legally abolished. By the turn of the 20th century, with the help of the 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments to the U.S. Constitution, African American men had finally won significant battles for the basic rights of citizenship, but the fight for equality was far from over. Even after the successes of the civil rights movement, the struggle continuedand it still continues today.

Although the history of the African American experience is not always a pleasant story, it is also filled with powerful moments of positive change. These triumphs of human equality were achieved with help from brave social activists such as Frederick Douglass, Martin Luther King Jr., and Maya Angelou. They all experienced racial prejudice in their lifetimes and fought by writing, speaking, and acting against it. By exposing the suffering of the black community, they brought people together to try to remedy centuries worth of wrongdoing.

Today, it is important to learn about the history of African Americans and their experiences in modern America in order to work toward healing the divide that still exists in the United States. This series aims to give readers a deeper appreciation for and understanding of a part of the American story that is often left untold.

Even before the legal emancipation of slaves, black culture was thriving despite many attempts to suppress it. From music to language to art, slaves began cultivating an identity that was completely unique. Soon after these slaves were granted citizenship, African American culture burst into the mainstream. New generations of authors, scholars, painters, and singers were born, and they spread an appreciation for black culture across America and the entire world. Studying the contributions of these talented individuals fosters a sense of optimism. Despite the cruel treatment and racist attitudes these men and women faced, they never gave up, and they helped change the world with their determination and unique voices.

The Lucent Library of Black History offers a glimpse into the lives and accomplishments of some of the most important and influential African Americans across historical time periods and areas of interest. From the arts and sports to the military and politics, the wide variety of topics allows readers to get a full and clear picture of the successes and struggles African Americans have experienced and are continuing to experience. Titles examine primary source documents and quotes from historical and modern figures to provide an enriching learning experience for readers. With detailed timelines, unique sidebars, and a carefully selected bibliography for further research, this series gives readers the tools to independently discover historical events and figures that do not often get their time in the spotlight.

By balancing the harsh realities of the past and present with a sense of hopefulness for the future, the Lucent Library of Black History helps young people understand an essential truth: Black history is a vital part of American history.

SETTING THE SCENE: A TIMELINE

INTRODUCTION

FIGHTING FOR JUSTICE

B efore the American Civil War, the majority of black people in the United States were slaves. Their owners forced them to work for no pay and sometimes subjected them to beatings and other punishments for minor offensesor for no reason at all. Slaves were at the mercy of their owners. Even after the war ended in 1865 and slavery was abolished, black people still were denied political and economic power. Although the Fourteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution gave African Americans citizenship in 1868, their civil rights were often ignored. Their voting rights were sharply limited, their job prospects and earning potential remained poor, and their children attended inferior schools. Only toward the end of the 20th century did African Americans begin to approach the social and economic status that white Americans had long enjoyed.

Throughout early U.S. history, state and federal laws were not written to treat black Americans fairly. During colonial times, slavery was legal throughout the North and into the South, where it remained lawful until the Civil War. Later, laws that discriminated against African Americans kept many black people from voting and barred their children from attending schools with white children.

Although many individual laws have hurt African Americans, the legal system itself has often been the best hope for Americas black population. This apparent contradiction has to do with the workings of the American government, which consists of three branches, or parts. One part is the legislative branchCongress, in the case of the national government which makes the laws. Another part is the executive branch, led by the president at the national level. This branch is responsible for enforcing the laws.

While the Constitution has rarely been amended, or changed, throughout the years, Supreme Court justices have sometimes interpreted it differently.