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Civil Rights: Laws or Morality by Anne Fiedler, PhD Key Concepts Civil Rights Movement: (see description under Background for Classroom Activities) Civil Rights Act of 1886: (see description under Background for Classroom Activities) Civil Rights Act of 1964: (see description under Background for Classroom Activities) EEOC (Equal Employment Opportunities Commission): The EEOC was established by the Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Its mission is "the elimination of illegal discrimination from the workplace. To accomplish that goal, various approaches, some dictated by statutory limitations and some by philosophical and managerial considerations, have been employed. The EEOC is made up of five commissioners and a General Counsel appointed by the President of the United States and confirmed by the Senate. The five-member Commission makes equal employment opportunity policy and approves most litigation. The General Counsel is responsible for conducting EEOC enforcement litigation under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Equal Pay Act (EPA), the Age discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA), and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). NAACP: NAACP is The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People. It was founded by a multiracial group of activists, who answered "The Call," in New York City, NY. They initially called themselves the National Negro Committee. The mission of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People is to ensure the political, educational, social, and economic equality of rights of all persons and to eliminate racial hatred and racial discrimination. Ku Klux Klan: The Ku Klux Klan was founded in 1866 by veterans of the Confederate Army as an underground terrorist group. Its main purpose was to resist Reconstruction, focusing on intimidating the freed slaves as well as "carpetbaggers" and "scalawags" (during Reconstruction, a white, Southern Republican). Although it lost much of its support in the early 1870s due to President Ulysses S. Grant's vigorous action under the Civil Rights Act of 1871 (also known as the Ku Klux Klan Act), during the 20th Century, it has been revived with prosecutions against Jews, foreigners, Roman Catholics, communists, Homosexuals, African Americans, communists, and organized labor. Vocabulary Discrimination: Discrimination involves treatment or consideration based on class or category (such as gender) rather than individual merit usually resulting from partiality or prejudice. Prejudice: Prejudice is the act or state of holding unreasonable, preconceived judgments or convictions formed without just grounds or before gathering sufficient knowledge. Such judgment or opinion can result in a irrational attitude of hostility directed against an individual, a group, a race, or their supposed characteristics. Diversity: Diversity is the condition of being different from one another. In an organization this can mean including people who differ from one another (as people of different races or cultures) in a group or organization. Segregation: Segregation is the policy or practice of separating people of different races, classes, or ethnic groups, as in schools, housing, transportation, and public or commercial facilities. Moral: Moral behavior is behavior that is considered to be right. These actions are controlled on one's conscience or ethical judgment. Social responsibility: Social responsibility is the idea that businesses should not function amorally. Instead they should contribute to the welfare of their communities. Accountability: Accountability is the obligation or willingness of an individual to accept responsibility or to account for his or her actions.

Civil Rights: Laws or Morality

by Anne Fiedler, PhD

Key Concepts

Civil Rights Movement: (see description under Background for Classroom Activities)

Civil Rights Act of 1886: (see description under Background for Classroom Activities)

Civil Rights Act of 1964: (see description under Background for Classroom Activities)

EEOC (Equal Employment Opportunities Commission): The EEOC was established by the Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Its mission is "the elimination of illegal discrimination from the workplace. To accomplish that goal, various approaches, some dictated by statutory limitations and some by philosophical and managerial considerations, have been employed.

The EEOC is made up of five commissioners and a General Counsel appointed by the President of the United States and confirmed by the Senate. The five-member Commission makes equal employment opportunity policy and approves most litigation. The General Counsel is responsible for conducting EEOC enforcement litigation under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Equal Pay Act (EPA), the Age discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA), and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).

NAACP: NAACP is The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People. It was founded by a multiracial group of activists, who answered "The Call," in New York City, NY. They initially called themselves the National Negro Committee. The mission of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People is to ensure the political, educational, social, and economic equality of rights of all persons and to eliminate racial hatred and racial discrimination.

Ku Klux Klan: The Ku Klux Klan was founded in 1866 by veterans of the Confederate Army as an underground terrorist group. Its main purpose was to resist Reconstruction, focusing on intimidating the freed slaves as well as "carpetbaggers" and "scalawags" (during Reconstruction, a white, Southern Republican). Although it lost much of its support in the early 1870s due to President Ulysses S. Grant's vigorous action under the Civil Rights Act of 1871 (also known as the Ku Klux Klan Act), during the 20th Century, it has been revived with prosecutions against Jews, foreigners, Roman Catholics, communists, Homosexuals, African Americans, communists, and organized labor.

Vocabulary

Discrimination: Discrimination involves treatment or consideration based on class or category (such as gender) rather than individual merit usually resulting from partiality or prejudice.

Prejudice: Prejudice is the act or state of holding unreasonable, preconceived judgments or convictions formed without just grounds or before gathering sufficient knowledge. Such judgment or opinion can result in a irrational attitude of hostility directed against an individual, a group, a race, or their supposed characteristics.

Diversity: Diversity is the condition of being different from one another. In an organization this can mean including people who differ from one another (as people of different races or cultures) in a group or organization.

Segregation: Segregation is the policy or practice of separating people of different races, classes, or ethnic groups, as in schools, housing, transportation, and public or commercial facilities.

Moral: Moral behavior is behavior that is considered to be right. These actions are controlled on one's conscience or ethical judgment.

Social responsibility: Social responsibility is the idea that businesses should not function amorally. Instead they should contribute to the welfare of their communities.

Accountability: Accountability is the obligation or willingness of an individual to accept responsibility or to account for his or her actions.