Resources
Background Materials
Questions for Judge Michael Mukasey
On September 17, 2007, President Bush announced his nomination of Judge Michael Mukasey to be the next Attorney General of the United States. Little attention has been paid, however, to his civil rights record or to the civil rights implications of his national security rulings.
Civil Rights Q&A
Learn about civil rights acts throughout the decades.
About the United States Commission on Civil Rights
In 1957, Congress created the United States Commission on Civil Rights (USCCR) as an independent advisory commission, charged with investigating and reporting on all levels of government to ensure all citizens' civil rights were protected.
About the Civil Rights Division
In 1957, for the first time since Reconstruction, Congress enacted legislation that recognized the need for a federal enforcement role in the battle against racial discrimination.
Architects of Subversion
For the last six years, politics appears to have trumped enforcement and altered the operations of the Civil Rights Division at the U.S. Department of Justice.
NEW! Background on the Civil Rights Act of 2008
Congress has enacted bipartisan laws to ensure that federal tax dollars are not used to subsidize discrimination, and that Americans have real remedies when their civil rights are violated. Recent court decisions have weakened these basic protections in ways that Congress never intended. The Civil Rights Act of 2008 will strengthen accountability when civil rights and workers’ rights are violated.
About the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (CERD)
The International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (CERD) was adopted by the United Nations General Assembly in 1969. Since then, 177 of countries have become parties to the treaty, including the United States, which ratified it in 1994.
Backgrounder on Age Discrimination
Congress passed the federal Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA) in 1967 to protect workers aged 40 or older from discrimination by any employer with more than 20 employees. An employer may not refuse to hire or promote, diminish the wages or benefits of, or otherwise discriminate against a worker because of his or her age. But in recent decisions, the Supreme Court has weakened protections against age discrimination in employment.
Backgrounder on Wage Discrimination
In 1963, Congress passed the Equal Pay Act (EPA), making it illegal for employers to pay unequal wages to women and men who hold the same job and do the same work. A year later, Congress passed the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which more broadly prohibits discrimination in employment on the basis of race, color, religion, sex or national origin and has been used as an effective tool to combat wage discrimination. Today, while the EPA and Title VII have helped women, minorities, and people with disabilities narrow the wage gap, their promise still remains unfulfilled and partly impeded by the Supreme Court.
Backgrounder on Discrimination and Unfair Labor Practices
Workers' rights to fair compensation, fair treatment, protection against unfair labor practices, and protection against discrimination are enshrined in federal civil rights laws.
Backgrounder on Private Attorney's General
A person's right to sue for a violation of his or her civil rights is meaningless without the ability to obtain a lawyer, cover the costs of litigation, or obtain a fair measure of damages. All too often, victims of discrimination are people who have lost their jobs, have little or no income, or otherwise have little access to legal representation. Nonetheless, many cases brought by persons of limited means have had a dramatic impact on the enforcement of, and compliance with, the civil rights laws.
Backgrounder on State-Sponsored Discrimination
Congress passed Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and Title IX of the Education amendments of 1972 to prevent states from using federal dollars -- designated for schools, public works, and other services -- to discriminate against individuals on the basis of race, national origin, sex, disability, and age. But in recent years the Supreme Court has chipped away at Congress' good intentions and limited the protections individuals have from state-sponsored discrimination.
