Civil Rights Progress

The 13th Amendment (1865)
Abolished slavery.

The Civil Rights Act of 1866
Granted citizenship and equal rights to all males born in the United States regardless of race.

The 14th Amendment (1868)
Granted citizenship to all persons born or naturalized in the United States, including former slaves, granted the right to vote to white males aged 21 or older, and guaranteed the same “privileges or immunities”, “due process of law” and “equal protection of the laws” for all citizens.

The 15th Amendment (1870)
Prohibited the federal and state governments from denying a citizen the right to vote based on that citizen’s “race, color, or previous condition of servitude.”

The Ku Klux Klan Act (1871)
This law made it a federal crime to deny any group or individual “any of the rights, privileges, or immunities, or protection, named in the Constitution,” and authorized the President to suspend habeas corpus, deploy the U.S. military, or use “other means, as he may deem necessary” to crack down the KKK racially motivated criminal acts.

The Civil Rights Act of 1875
Prohibited discrimination in public accommodations and jury duty, although it was later deemed unconstitutional.

The 19th Amendment (1919)
Granted the right to vote to women.

Executive Order 9981 (1948)
Banned racial segregation in the Armed Forces.

Civil Rights Movement (1950s-1960s)
A series of nationwide efforts such as Montgomery Bus Boycott following Rosa Parks’ arrest for her refusal to move, aimed at ending racial segregation and discrimination against African Americans.

Brown v. Board of Education (1954)
Supreme Court declared state laws establishing separate public schools for black and white students to be unconstitutional.

The Civil Rights Act of 1957
The first civil rights legislation since 1875. Established the Civil Rights Division in the Justice Department and the Commission on Civil Rights to investigate discriminatory conditions.

Eisenhower Enforced Desegregation in Little Rock (1957)

President Dwight Eisenhower the 101st Airborne Division to Little Rock to enforce a federal court order for nine black students to attend a public school through a segregationist mob mobilized by the Arkansan Governor Orval Faubus. President Eisenhower addressed to the nation that “An extreme situation has been created in Little Rock,” he said. “This challenge must be met, and with such measures as will preserve to the people as a whole their lawfully protected rights.”

The 24th Amendment (1964)
Established that the right to vote shall not be denied or abridged by both Congress and the states by reason of failure to pay any poll tax or other tax.

The Civil Rights Act of 1964
Outlawed discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, or national origin in employment practices and public accommodations.

The Voting Rights Act of 1965
Prohibited racial discrimination in voting, enforced the voting rights protected by the Fourteenth and Fifteenth Amendments for all racial minorities in the country.

The Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965
Abolished the national origins quota system, created new and more inclusive immigration regulations that allowed immigrants from Asia, Africa, and other non-European regions, transforming America into a more diverse and multicultural society.

The Fair Housing Act of 1968
Prohibited discrimination concerning the sale, rental, and financing of housing based on race, religion, national origin, and sex.

The 26th Amendment (1971)
Established a nationally standardized minimum age of 18 for participation in state and local elections.

The Equal Rights Amendment (1971-Present)
If ratified, this amendment (ERA) would explicitly prohibit discrimination based on sex. It was first proposed in 1923, in 1971, it was approved with strong bipartisan support by the S. House of Representativeson October 12, 1971, and by the U.S. Senate on March 22, 1972, thus submitting the ERA to the state legislatures for ratification, as provided by Article V of the U.S. Constitution. By 1977, the ERA received rectification from 35 of the required 38 states. Nevada ratified in 2017, Illinois in 2018 and Virginia in 2020.However, the ERA remains uncertain due to expired deadlines and five revocations.

Title IX of the Education Amendments (1972)
Prohibited sex discrimination in federally funded education programs and activities.

Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) (1990)
Prohibited discrimination against individuals with disabilities in all areas of public life, including jobs, schools, transportation, and all public and private places open to the general public.

Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell Repeal Act (2010)
Allowed gays, lesbians, and bisexuals to serve openly in the military.

Obergefell v. Hodges (2015)
Supreme Court ruling that guaranteed the equal marriage right to same-sex couples.

Black Lives Matter Movement (2013-present)
A decentralized political and social movement that seeks to highlight racism, discrimination, racial inequality, police brutality, and racially motivated violence experienced by Black communities.

Equality Act (proposed 2019)
A bill in the United States Congress, if passed, that would amend the Civil Rights Act to prohibit discrimination on the basis of sex, sexual orientation, and gender identity.

Juneteenth National Independence Day (2021)
On September 22, 1862, President Abraham Lincolnannounced that the Emancipation Proclamation would go into effect on January 1, 1863. On June 19, 1865, enslaved people of African descent located in Galveston, Texas, finally learned of their freedom from the slavery system in the United States.  It was recognized as an official observance in all states, except South Dakota.  On June 17 2021, Congress established it as a federal holiday commemorating the end of slavery in the United States.

Anti-Asian Hate Crime Act (2021)
This law addresses the rise in hate crimes and violence against Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders during the COVID-19 pandemic.