The correct answer is C. It originated with individuals, corporations, and states not following constitutional amendments and prescribing equal treatment for education and private property.
The civil rights movement, which emerged in the mid-20th century, was a response to systemic racial discrimination and segregation in American society. The foundation of the movement was the belief that the constitutional amendments passed during the Reconstruction era (after the Civil War) had not been fully implemented and enforced.
The Thirteenth, Fourteenth, and Fifteenth Amendments to the United States Constitution were enacted to secure the rights and freedoms of formerly enslaved African Americans. The Thirteenth Amendment abolished slavery, the Fourteenth granted equal protection under the law to all citizens, and the Fifteenth protected the right to vote regardless of race.
However, despite these constitutional guarantees, individuals, corporations, and states persisted in racially discriminatory practices. African Americans were denied equal access to education, public facilities, employment opportunities, and voting rights. They faced segregation and widespread institutionalized racism, particularly in the southern states.
The civil rights movement aimed to address these injustices by challenging unconstitutional laws and policies through various means, including legal battles, peaceful protests, and grassroots activism. Through constitutional interpretation, civil rights activists argued for the full enforcement of the amendments and equal treatment for all citizens.
Ultimately, landmark court decisions and legislative acts, such as Brown v. Board of Education in 1954 and the Civil Rights Acts of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965, played a crucial role in advancing the cause of equal rights for all Americans. These legal and legislative victories were influenced by constitutional interpretations that emphasized equal protection and the elimination of racial discrimination.
Explain the origin of the civil rights movement as it relates to constitutional interpretation.
A. It originated with states not following such federal laws as the Civil Rights Acts of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965.
B. It originated with the legal definition of private property leading to discriminatory treatment against Black Americans.
C. It originated with individuals, corporations, and states not following constitutional amendments and prescribing equal treatment for education and private property.
D. It originated with the lack of a constitutional amendment that granted formerly enslaved people the right to vote.
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