Equality and Rights Archives

Juneteenth Now Officially a Federal Holiday

The United States now officially has one new federal holiday: Juneteenth. This holiday, which has been unofficially observed since it was established in 1866, is celebrated annually on June 19 and commemorates the end of slavery in Texas on June 19, 1865, after the end of the Civil War and almost two years after President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation.

Texas Dems Defeat GOP Voter Suppression Bill For Now

In a stunning turn of events, members of the Democratic caucus of the Texas House of Representatives staged a dramatic walkout in a last-ditch effort to stop the Republican Party from passing one of the most severe voter suppression bills in the U.S. The walkout by all 67 Democrats in the state House meant that the Republican Party wouldn’t be able to form a 100-member quorum in the 150-member body, meaning that the bill was not able to be passed before the end of this legislative session, which ended on May 30.

Why DC Statehood Is So Difficult to Achieve

For years, activists had been working hard to admit Washington, D.C., as a state. The federal district, which lacks representation in Congress, contains more people than Wyoming and Vermont, and activists had insisted for years that leaving D.C. in a democratic limbo-land meant that over 700,000 Americans were not appropriately getting their voices heard in Congress.

Why Puerto Rico Should Be Granted Statehood

The push to make Washington, D.C. a state has never been greater. Not only has the House passed a bill that would admit the federal district as a state this Congress, making it the second consecutive Congress that passed such an act, it has also been introduced in the Senate and there has been a great push for it to become a real state. However, the push to make Puerto Rico, an American territory in the Caribbean which has a population of 3 million, a state has not garnered such attention and support. Granting Puerto Rico statehood would give more than 3 million Americans representation in government.

Derek Chauvin Found Guilty In George Floyd Murder

A month after the trial of former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin into the murder of George Floyd last May began, a unanimous jury delivered a verdict on Tuesday, finding Chauvin guilty of second-degree unintentional murder, third-degree murder, and second-degree manslaughter. The verdict offered a sign of optimism that America was progressing toward a future in which people of all races would be treated fairly and equally and where police officers would be held accountable for their actions.

Voting Rights and How America’s Pastime Got Pulled Into Politics

Major companies have come out in criticism of Georgia’s new voter-suppression law that makes it harder to vote, especially in the urban areas. As companies headquartered in Georgia like Coca-Cola and Delta slammed the law for being “based on a lie” and President Joe Biden calling the law “Jim Crow on steroids,” Major League Baseball has chosen to move this season’s All-Star Game out of Atlanta, resulting in Republicans, who have rallied against “cancel culture,” calling on people to boycott MLB.

George Floyd Case Trial Begins in Minneapolis

One of the most closely-watched and important trials in a very long time began on Monday in Minneapolis, in the Hennepin County District Court, as the murder trial for former police officer Derek Chauvin, who is being charged with murder in the death of George Floyd last summer, started. The death of George Floyd, a 46-year-old Black man, resulted in nationwide protests against police brutality and calls for equal treatment of Black people, igniting the Black Lives Matter protest movement.

Georgia GOP Passes Sweeping Voter Suppression Bill

Georgia Republicans, who currently hold a majority in that state’s legislature and the governorship (despite Democrats winning statewide on the presidential level and having both U.S. Senate seats), passed a disgraceful bill Thursday which would substantially restrict voting rights and make it far more difficult for people to vote, especially to those living in cities and for communities of color (both groups which vote overwhelmingly Democratic).

Atlanta Shootings Bring Attention to Anti-Asian Racism

Last Tuesday, on March 16, eight people were killed in a series of shootings which took place at three spas in the Greater Atlanta area. Of the eight that died, six were Asian American and two were white. All of them, except for one, were women. The shootings fueled fear that the shooting may have singled out Asians, and draws attention to the longstanding racism many Asians have faced in America, which has sadly become more exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic.

SCOTUS: The Worst Decision Ever (Dred Scott v. Sandford)

In 1857, the Supreme Court likely made one of the worst, if not the worst, decisions in its entire history in the case of Dred Scott v. Sandford, now commonly known as the Dred Scott case. It ruled that not only was slavery legal, but Black Americans were also not entitled to U.S. citizenship, regardless of whether or not they were enslaved. This court case is considered to be one of the major factors which caused the Civil War.

SCOTUS: Guaranteeing Criminal Rights (Miranda v. Arizona)

“You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can be used against you in court. You have the right to talk to a lawyer for advice before we ask you any questions. You have the right to have a lawyer with you during questioning. If you cannot afford a lawyer, one will be appointed for you before any questioning if you wish. If you decide to answer questions now without a lawyer present, you have the right to stop answering at any time.”

This is the now-famous “Miranda warning,” dramatized in movies, which must be read off to all people in police custody to alert them of their rights. Miranda warnings were derived from the landmark Supreme Court case ruling of Miranda v. Arizona in 1966, which required police to advise suspects of their rights, especially the right to remain silent.

SCOTUS: Right to an Attorney (Gideon v. Wainwright)

The right to an attorney when charged with a crime is laid out in the Sixth Amendment, and is widely known today that those unable to afford an attorney must receive one provided by the state to represent themselves in court. However, this was not always the case. Such precedent was only established in the landmark Supreme Court decision of Gideon v. Wainwright in 1963.

SCOTUS: How Same-Sex Marriage Became Legal (Obergefell v. Hodges)

Same-sex marriage was legalized throughout the entire United States just five years ago, in the case of Obergefell v. Hodges (2015). Prior to this ruling, it was only legal in 36 states plus Washington, D.C., and Guam. With this landmark civil rights case, the Supreme Court ruled that the right to marry is guaranteed to same-sex couples under the equal protection and due process clauses of the 14th Amendment.

SCOTUS: Ensuring Gender Equality (US v. Virginia)

In commemoration of Justice Ruth Ginsburg’s death, today, we are going to look at the landmark 1996 Supreme Court case of United States v. Virginia, a landmark case regarding women’s rights, of which Justice Ginsburg wrote the majority statement and played a huge role in deciding.

SCOTUS: How Interracial Marriage Was Legalized (Loving v. Virginia)

Believe it or not, as late as 1967, interracial marriage (marriage between a Black and a White) was illegal in much of the South. Interracial marriage bans were only ruled unconstitutional by the Supreme Court in the very fittingly-named case Loving v. Virginia of 1967. We will take a closer look at this case in today’s post.

Having an Internet Connection is a Civil Rights Issue

In the age of the COVID-19 pandemic, thousands of schools across the country (and the world) have switched to all-online, remote distance learning. Unfortunately, this move to an all-online model has once again widened America’s social divide and urban/rural divide. It is demonstrating that a high-speed, stable internet connection is now not something reserved for the privileged few, but a service required for everyone.

SCOTUS: How Abortion Became a Constitutional Right (Roe v. Wade)

Despite all the controversy surrounding abortion today, it is important to understand that abortion was actually a constitutional right as ruled by the 1973 landmark Supreme Court case of Roe v. Wade. How and why did the court decide that abortion was a right? Let’s find out in today’s post.

Racism Uncovered (Part 5): The Civil Rights Movement, Part II

Part 5: Civil Rights Movement, Part II

In this series, Racism in America, I aim to discuss the history of the United States with a focus on the topic of racism, both systemic and individual racism. Through this series, I hope to play a part in fighting the issue of racism that still persists in our society today. This series was inspired by the Black Lives Matter protest movement.

Last time in this series, we discussed the Civil Rights Movement up until the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Today, we will look at all the events of the Civil Rights Movement after the act was passed, and discuss some implications of how the movement reshaped the issue of race in the United States.

Coronavirus and the Politics of Health Care

As the coronavirus makes its “second sweep” across the United States, states with the highest percentage of uninsured residents have been hit the hardest, reigniting the debate over healthcare and insurance and the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare). The last 13 states which have not expanded Medicaid under the ACA, including Texas, Florida, North and South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, Wisconsin, Tennessee, Missouri, Kansas, South Dakota, and Wyoming are now seeing major outbreaks of the coronavirus. Let’s discuss the implications of healthcare on the 2020 election in today’s post.

SCOTUS: Desegregation of Public Schools (Brown v. Board of Education)

Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka was a major, landmark Supreme Court decision in 1954. The ruling declared racial segregation in public schools unconstitutional and was the first major victory for civil rights activists during the Civil Rights Movement of the 1950s and 1960s. Here’s how the case unfolded.

Racism Uncovered (Part 4): The Civil Rights Movement, Part I

Part 4: Civil Rights Movement, Part I

Continuing on from the previous post in this series, today we will be taking a closer look at the Civil Rights Movement. The movement was a fight by Black Americans to gain equal treatment under the law and desegregate the country. Having endured segregation and harsh Jim Crow laws for many years, an uprising occurred during the 1950s and ’60s, beginning a fight for equality and eventually ending in victory.

Continue reading “Racism Uncovered (Part 4): The Civil Rights Movement, Part I”

SCOTUS: The Time When SCOTUS Legalized Segregation (Plessy v. Ferguson)

In a previous post about the Jim Crow laws era, I briefly mentioned the landmark Plessy v. Ferguson Supreme Court case, which was where the Supreme Court legalized racial segregation. In today’s post, I would like to go into more detail about the case.

SCOTUS: Strengthening Abortion Rights (June Medical Services, LLC v. Gee)

On June 29, 2020, the Supreme Court made another landmark decision in the case of June Medical Services, LLC v. Gee, strengthening women’s rights to having an abortion. Chief Justice John Roberts sided with the four liberal justices to deliver the 5-4 decision in favor of June Medical Services and abortion. It marks the third major victory for liberals in the Supreme Court this month (the other two being LGBTQ rights and DACA).

Racism Uncovered (Part 3): Reconstruction and the Jim Crow Laws Era

Part 3: Reconstruction

In the previous post in this series, we talked about the Civil War and also briefly Thirteenth, Fourteenth, and Fifteenth Amendments to the Constitution. However, despite efforts to reintegrate former slaves (and Black people) back into society after abolition via the aforementioned amendments, it was way easier said than done.

SCOTUS: DACA Lives On (DHS v. Regents of UC)

On June 18, 2020, the Supreme Court made another landmark decision against the will of President Trump. In the case of the Department of Homeland Security v. Regents of the University of California, the Supreme Court ensured, in a 5-4 vote, that the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program introduced under the Obama administration would continue to be in effect after the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) tried to rescind it in 2017 under the Trump administration.

Racism Uncovered (Part 2): The Civil War

Part 2: The Civil War

In the last post in this series, we discussed the issue of slavery in the United States when it was a young country, all the way until the mid-1800s. We left off after discussing the Dred Scott Decision. In today’s post, we will talk about the events that led to the Civil War and the consequences of the Civil War.

SCOTUS: Civil Rights for All LGBTQ Americans (Bostock v. Clayton County)

On June 15, 2020, the Supreme Court made a landmark decision regarding LGBTQ rights. In a 6-3 decision, the Court ruled that the Civil Rights Act of 1964 also protected LGBTQ Americans from workplace discrimination.

The case was Bostock v. Clayton County, where Bostock was fired from the juvenile court system in Georgia after soliciting interest in a gay baseball league at work. Bostock claimed that this was violating the Civil Rights Act of 1964. The Court sided with him, ruling against Clayton County of Georgia.

Racism Uncovered (Part 1): Slavery

Part 1: Slavery and the Founding of a Nation

To understand present-day racism in the United States, we must first understand some American history. Slavery can really be considered the first form of “racism” in America (although, admittedly, at the time, the United States was but a small British colony).