Civil
Rights are the rights and privileges to which we are entitled under the
laws that govern our nation. In America, our civil rights are guaranteed in the
Constitution, particularly in the Bill of Rights and other Amendments.
Even
though the Emancipation Proclamation freed the slaves in 1865 and the 13th Amendment
outlawed slavery and guaranteed black Americans the rights to which all American
citizens are entitled, many black Americans in the South were not allowed to exercise
their civil rights, even until the 1960s. The
Civil Rights Movement in the United States helped to win equality for all Americans.
In
1987, a Presidential Proclamation declared August 12 to be commemorated as Civil
Rights Day. This day is an opportunity to honor those who worked to help create
an America where all Americans' civil rights are protected. It is also a time
to stand up for the continuing protection of our civil rights guaranteed in the
Constitution.
In
recent years, some have suggested that Martin Luther King Day be observed as Civil
Rights Day to commemorate the greater cause to which Dr. King and so many others
dedicated their lives for the good of us all.
