Civil Rights Movement Reflection, Essay Example

Talk about rights leads to questions. What exactly are rights and from where do they come? Individual rights for citizens of one country can differ considerably from individual rights for citizens of other countries. Some countries may not offer many rights to their inhabitants. This is not true for the United States, which guarantees citizens protections under the law including civil rights and civil liberties.

Civil rights are individual liberties guaranteed by the United States Constitution (“What are”). The Civil Rights Act of 1964 amended the Constitution of the United States in an effort to protect people from unequal treatment. The Act protects individuals from discrimination based on sex, race, religion, or country of national origin (“Equal Employment”).

During the Reconstruction, people viewed civil rights differently than they do today. After their emancipation, many former slaves were left to fend for themselves (traces). At this time, Jim Crowe laws forced the separation of blacks and whites (traces). Many of the programs offered by the government to whites were not available to blacks (traces). This type of preferential treatment differs from the present-day perspective of civil rights.

Civil liberties are basic rights guaranteed by either the United States Constitution or precedent established by the United States judicial system (“Civil Rights”). Often, when Americans refer to their “freedom,” they are, in fact, referring to their civil liberties. These liberties include the right to vote, the right to marry, the right to a trial, and the right to privacy (“Civil Rights”). Other civil liberties include freedom of speech and freedom from unreasonable search and seizure (“Civil Rights”).

Although these rights currently apply to all United States citizens, the founding fathers did not understand Civil Rights in the current sense. The liberties first afforded under the constitution only applied to certain individuals. For example, women were not given the right to vote until 1920 (“History”).

Rights not only vary by country of origin, but also vary by time period. It is natural to expect a progression in rights and civil liberties as society itself progresses. It is only through the constant monitoring and readjusting of these liberties that any society can remain truly free.

Works Cited

“Civil Rights vs. Civil Liberties.” Findlaw.com. 2011. Web. 30 Jan. 2011

“Equal Employment Opportunity: Ethnic/National Origin, Color Race, Religion, and Sex Discrimination.” Dol.gov. n.d. Web. 30 Jan. 2011

“History of Women’s Suffrage.” Scolastic.com, n.d. Web. 30 Jan. 2011.

“Reconstruction, Jim Crow, and the Civil Rights Era.” Tracesofthetrade.com. n.d. Web. 30 Jan. 2011.

“What are Civil Rights?”hhh.gov. n.d. Web. 30 Jan. 2011.