Explain the origin of the civil rights movement as it relates to constitutional interpretation. (1 point)
a It originated with individuals, corporations, and states not
following constitutional amendments and prescribing
equal treatment for education and private property.
b It originated with states not following such federal laws
as the Civil Rights Acts of 1964 and the Voting Rights
Act of 1965.
c It originated with the lack of a constitutional amendment
that granted formerly enslaved people the right to vote.
d It originated with the legal definition of private property
leading to discriminatory treatment against Black
Americans.
c It originated with the lack of a constitutional amendment that granted formerly enslaved people the right to vote.
The correct answer is (c) It originated with the lack of a constitutional amendment that granted formerly enslaved people the right to vote.
The civil rights movement in the United States emerged from the longstanding struggle for equality and justice for African Americans, particularly in the wake of the abolition of slavery. Following the Civil War and the passage of the Thirteenth Amendment, which abolished slavery, African Americans gained their freedom. However, they still faced numerous obstacles to achieving full citizenship and equal rights.
One of the major issues that the civil rights movement sought to address was the denial of the right to vote for African Americans. While the Fifteenth Amendment, ratified in 1870, theoretically guaranteed the right to vote regardless of race, it did not effectively protect this right. Southern states implemented various tactics, such as poll taxes, literacy tests, and intimidation, to prevent African Americans from voting.
The civil rights movement aimed to rectify this lack of a constitutional amendment by advocating for the enforcement of the Fifteenth Amendment and challenging discriminatory voting practices. Activists and organizations like the NAACP and Martin Luther King Jr. played crucial roles in mobilizing public support and challenging these unjust practices through nonviolent protests, legal battles, and civil disobedience.
Therefore, (c) is the correct answer because the lack of a constitutional amendment granting formerly enslaved people the right to vote was a central issue that prompted the civil rights movement.