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Civil Rights
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Mendez v. Westminster
This case occurred in 1947, where Gonzalo and Felicitas Mendez, along with four other Mexican American families, challenged the segregation of having Mexican American schools in Orange County, California, saying it was against the 14th Amendment. The court ruled in favor of the family and said it was unconstitutional. It was a step of progress for desegregation even among Mexican Americans, and was an act of civil disobedience. -
American G.I. Forum
The American G.I. Forum (AGIF) was founded in 1948 by Dr. Hector P. Garcia in Corpus Christi, Texas, as an advocacy group for Mexican American veterans returning from World War II. This group became a civil rights group that was able to advocate for Mexican American equal rights and gained Mexican American veterans more benefits, and was a form of civil disobedience. -
Urban Indian Relocation Program
This program started in the 1950s and was used as a way to pressure Native Americans to move off their reservations. It resulted in a lot of people having economic hardships. This was an act passed by the government. -
Montgomery Bus Boycott
Was a mass protest in 1955 by African Americans and others refusing to ride the bus after Rosa Parks was arrested for not getting up for a white person. It lasted for 381 days until the Supreme Court deemed bus segregation unconstitutional. This movement marked one of the first successful large-scale peaceful protests and showed how they can work. -
Little Rock Nine
This was a group of 9 African Americans who tried to integrate into Central High School in Little Rock, Arkansas. This was after the Supreme Court ruled segregated schools unconstitutional, but the riots were so bad that the federal government sent their troops to end the resistance. This was a big moment for the civil rights movement because the federal government sent its troops to support African American rights. This was an act of civil disobedience. -
The Feminine Mystique
This was a book written by Betty Friedan that explained women's unhappiness with being housewives after WW2. It explained that women wanted more for their life. This was important because it challenged the gender norms in America and sparked debate about women's roles in society. This was an act of civil disobedience. -
Equal Pay Act
This act prohibited wage discrimination based on sex. This was a big step for gender equality in the workplace and was the first time the government addressed wage discrimination. This was a legislative action. -
Civil Rights Act 1964
This act aimed to end segregation in the U.S. and discrimination as a whole. The Act addressed discrimination in voting, public accommodations, education, employment, and federally funded programs. This is highlighted as one of the most significant moments in the Civil Rights era because it legally destroyed the foundation of segregation and discrimination. This was a legislative act. -
Voting Rights Act
Ensured all people could vote, banning poll taxes that discriminated against African Americans' voting. This is important because it reinforces the 15th Amendment, which allowed every citizen above 18 to vote. This is a legislative act. -
The Delano Grape Strike
Was a labor movement among Mexican Americans and Filipinos where more than 1,000 workers walked off the vineyards to protest low wages and hard working conditions. The protest lasted five years with consumer boycotts, marches and more. This movement brought awareness to the exploitation of farm workers and was an act of civil disobedience. -
Mexican American Legal Defense and Education Fund (MALDEF)
This organization was founded by civil rights attorney Pete Tijerina. Their mission was to address systematic racism against Mexican Americans in the legal, education, and employment systems. This was modeled after the NAACP and fought for equality in courts for Mexican Americans and operates within the legal system. -
Assassination of Martin Luther King Jr.
The most prominent leader for Civil Rights was Martin Luther King Jr., was assassinated on April 4, 1968. He was assassinated by a racist who hated the work he had done for equality. This caused an uproar among all people in America due to feelings of injustice, and they wanted to fight harder, which was a criminal act. -
Fair Housing Act
This act prohibits discrimination against house sales and rentals based on sex, race, religion, and more. This directly targeted a systematic inequality, a lot of colored people experienced when trying to get housing. This is a legislative act. -
Wounded Knee Occupation
This is when 200 Oglala Lakota activists and members of the American Indian Movement (AIM) seized the village of Wounded Knee on the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota where they stayed for 71 days. It was a demand for the government to obey treaties and stop the corruption of the tribal leadership led by Richard Wilson, and was an act of civil disobedience. -
Women's Educational Equity Act
This act tried to ensure educational equality for women with non-sexist curricula and access to educational and workforce counseling. This legislative act is important because it banned sex discrimination in federally funded education programs. -
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