- Author:
- OER Librarian
- Subject:
- Political Science
- Material Type:
- Module
- Level:
- Community College / Lower Division
- Provider:
- Ohio Open Ed Collaborative
- Tags:
- License:
- Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial
- Language:
- English
- Media Formats:
- Text/HTML
American Politics and Government in the Information Age
Center for American Women and Politics
Civil Liberties and Civil Rights (Independence Hall Association)
Fischer v. University of Texas
Obergefell v. Hodges
Shelby County v. Holder
Video – 14th Amendment and Equal Protection Clause
Video – Civil Rights - 1965: Where has the year gone?
Video – Our Rights Under the 14th Amendment
Video – PBS American Experience - 1964: "The South Changes Political Parties"
Video – President Johnson and the Civil Rights Act of 1964
Video – President Johnson and the Voting Rights Act of 1965
Video – Signing of the Civil Rights Bill, 4/11/68. MP603.
Video – 14th Amendment Documentary
Video – Sound Smart: The 15th Amendment
Civil Rights: Course Map & Recommended Resources
Overview
Civil Rights
The resources included here are intended to map to the following learning objectives for an American Government Course:
- Define and identify key moments in the history of civil rights in the U.S. (e.g. the Brown v. Board decision, Voting Rights Act, Obergefell v. Hodges, etc.) and why they are important.
- Understand race as a defining factor of the U.S. political party system.
- Compare and contrast various forms of racism, including both individual attitudes and systemic racism.
- Discuss the evolution of views on gender and sexuality.
- Examine how various groups have used political action (legal action and/or grassroots politics) to move towards legal equality.
- Examine current issues and how racism and sexism affect public opinion and electoral politics
Recommended Textbooks
Main Text: American Politics and Government in the Information Age
Chapter 5: Civil Rights
Alternative Text: American Government - Lumen Learning
Other Materials
Web-Based Resources
- Civil Liberties and Civil Rights (Independence Hall Association)
- Center for American Women and Politics
Multimedia Resources
- PBS American Experience - 1964: "The South Changes Political Parties"
- Our Rights Under the 14th Amendment
- Sound Smart: The 15th Amendment
- President Johnson and the Civil Rights Act of 1964
- Civil Rights - 1965: Where has the year gone?
- President Johnson and the Voting Rights Act of 1965
- Signing of the Civil Rights Bill, 4/11/68. MP603.
- 14th Amendment and Equal Protection Clause
- 14th Amendment Documentary
Primary Documents
Discussion and Key Concepts
Discussion Questions
Traditional disadvantaged groups who have sought and gained civil rights have included African Americans, women, Latinos(as), and Native Americans. Are there still disadvantaged groups in the US who are lacking in the area of civil rights? Identify and explain at least one group and what rights you believe them to be lacking.
Describe the major provision of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
Describe the major provisions of the Voting Rights Act of 1965.
Discuss how effective the courts (especially the Supreme Court) have been in addressing issues of discrimination. In your opinion, are the courts or are legislatures in a better position to address issues of discrimination? Explain.
Discuss the gender pay gap.
Key Terms or Concepts (Define):
Equal protection of the law
Strict scrutiny test
Intermediate scrutiny test
Rational or reasonable basis test
de jure segregation
de facto segregation
Affirmative action
Supreme Court Cases
Plessy v. Ferguson (1896)
Brown v. Board of Education (1954)
Loving v. Virginia (1967)
Korematsu v. United States (1944)
Swann v. Charlotte-Mecklenburg County Board of Education (1971)
Obergefell v. Hodges (2015)