Explain the origin of the civil rights movement as it relates to constitutional interpretation.(1 point) Responses

Question

A. It originated with individuals, corporations, and states not following constitutional amendments and prescribing equal treatment for education and private property.
B. It originated with the lack of a constitutional amendment that granted formerly enslaved people the right to vote.
C. It originated with the legal definition of private property leading to discriminatory treatment against Black Americans.
D. It originated with states not following such federal laws as the Civil Rights Acts of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965.

Answer 1

The correct response is D. It originated with states not following such federal laws as the Civil Rights Acts of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965.

The civil rights movement emerged as a response to systemic racism and discrimination, particularly in the southern United States. Despite the constitutional amendments aimed at providing rights and protections for formerly enslaved people (such as the 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments), many states enacted laws (known as Jim Crow laws) that enforced racial segregation and disenfranchised Black Americans. The Civil Rights Acts of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965 were significant federal laws designed to address these injustices. However, many states resisted compliance, which fueled the civil rights movement as activists worked to ensure that these federal laws were implemented and that their constitutional rights were respected. The movement sought both to challenge discriminatory laws and practices and to affirm broader constitutional principles of equality and justice.