Overview Chapter

This chapter focuses on equal rights, or civil rights, which are terms referring to the right of every person to equal protection under the law and equal access to society's opportunities and public facilities. Equal rights emphasizes whether individual members of different groups--racial, sexual, and others--are treated equally by government and, in some areas, by private parties. The history of civil rights has been largely one of group claims to equality. Civil liberties deal with issues of personal freedom, and civil rights involve issues of equality. The chapter emphasizes the following main points:

• Disadvantaged groups have had to struggle for equal rights.
• Americans have attained substantial equality under the law. They have, in legal terms, equal protection of the laws, equal access to accommodations and housing, and an equal right to vote.
• Legal equality for all Americans has not resulted in de facto equality.
• African Americans, women, Hispanic Americans, and other traditionally disadvantaged groups are given a disproportionately small share of America's opportunities and benefits.