. Civil rights
Civil liberties describe constitutionally guaranteed freedoms that protect us from any kind of oppressive or cruel rule in a country. Civil rights are put up mainly to ensure that there is no form of discrimination among individuals in any field. The first amendment mainly protects liberties which are basic to the people. These liberties include freedom of assembly, speech, religion, petition, and press. The protection of these basic liberties ensures that Americans always have free access to news and are free to express themselves without harassment.
The due process clause is mainly involved in the administering of justice and safeguards citizens from arbitrary denial of liberties, life of property by an individual, or government without proper sanctions from the law. In the United States Constitution, the due process clause is entailed in the fifth and fourteenth amendments. The clause protects the people living in a country from illegal prosecutions and denial of liberties.
Civil rights movement has been in existence and its activism has been mainly based on the lack of equal treatment and rights for the African-American population in the United States. The inequality of rights was mainly due to the previous status of slavery by the African-American people. In 1964, the Civil rights Act was put in place that prohibited discrimination in any program. This includes the services provided by the federal government. The civil rights movement despite the huge steps made did not succeed I achieving equal rights for the African-American population completely. Proof of these undoings is in the recent cases of racism that have hit the US.
The feminist movement moved mainly to champion for the liberties of women. The championing of these rights was through political campaigns seeking to change legislation on issues such as domestic violence, parity in wages, reproductive rights, sexual harassment, and maternity leaves among others. The efforts of the feminists were highly successful especially in the empowerment of the women. As a result, there was a rise in the number of women running for political seats, and harsh penalties were introduced for sex offenders.
The Latin American civil rights movement came up as a channel for addressing the rights of the immigrants entering the US. The rights of the workers, especially the undocumented workers, were overlooked due to their status. The problem previously faced by the immigrants is still in existence as displayed in the difficulty of undocumented workers getting jobs. The exploitation of immigrants is also rampant in the housing sector where the immigrant is exploited by landlords.
The LGBTQ community experienced discrimination both legally and in social spheres. In social spheres, the community was not accepted by most religions and was seen as social wrongdoing. The LGBTQ community also faced discrimination in the education sector. This discrimination has led to mobilization by the community. Through the community’s effort, the masses have come to accept that the community should have equal rights to other people. The community still faces discrimination especially in religions that do not support the community.