Stonewall Riots
Police raids on gay bars and nightclubs were a regular event in cities across the United States. Commonly the police would record the identities of all those present, which would be subsequently published in the newspaper, then load up their police van with as many as it would hold. Kissing, holding hands, or even being in a gay bar at all was used as grounds for arrest on indecency charges at that time.
The Stonewall raid on July 29, 1969 started out just like any other raid. Seven plainclothes policemen entered the bar along with one uniformed policeman, allegedly to investigate improprieties in the liquor license. They cleared the bar, whose clientele remained on the sidewalk and street outside.
the situation took a dramatic turn for the worse, and the police began beating people who resisted with their nightsticks. The crowd started throwing rocks and bottles rather than coins. The police took refuge inside the Inn, which they trashed. This was the first time the homosexual community had resisted with such force. With this event, the gay rights movement was ignited.
[TABLE OF CONTENTS]
Regents of University of California v. Bakke
Allan Bakke, a white applicant, had twice been rejected by the medical school, even though he had a higher grade point average than a number of minority candidates who were admitted. On June 28, 1978, the Supreme Court decided that race could be one of the factors considered in choosing a diverse student body in university admissions decisions. Using quotas in affirmative action programs was not permissible. As a result of the decision, Bakke was admitted to the medical school and graduated in 1992.
[TABLE OF CONTENTS]
Affirmative Action in Higher Education
Considered the most important affirmative action decision since the 1978 Bakke case, the Supreme Court upheld the University of Michigan's Law School policy using race as an admission factor. The University of Michigan considered the affirmative action program presented educational benefits by providing a diverse student body.
On June 23, 2003, the Supreme Court ruled that race could be one of many factors considered by colleges when selecting their students because it furthers "a compelling interest in obtaining the educational benefits that flow from a diverse student body." The university's policy of awarding additional points to minorities in the undergraduate admission program was determined to not provide the "individualize consideration" and had to be modified.
[TABLE OF CONTENTS]
Executive Order 8802
In 1941, A. Philip Randolph and other black leaders met with Eleanor Roosevelt and members of the president's cabinet. Randolph wanted an executive order issued to stop job discrimination in the defense industry, which was booming. Because of widespread discrimination, few minorities were receiving any jobs. Randoph declared they were ready to bring "ten, twenty, fifty thousand Negroes on the White House lawn" if their demands were not met.
Roosevelt decided to issue Executive Order 8802 on June 25, 1941 which read: "There shall be no discrimination in the employment of workers in defense industries and in Government, because of race, creed, color, or national origin." Roosevelt also established the Fair Employment Practices Committee to investigate incidents of discrimination.
[TABLE OF CONTENTS]
Meritor Savings Bank v. Vinson
After being dismissed from her job at a Meritor Savings Bank, Michelle Vinson sued Sidney Taylor, the Vice President of the bank. Vinson charged that she had constantly been subjected to sexual harassment by Taylor over her four years at the bank. She argued such harassment created a "hostile working environment" and was covered by Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Vinson sought injunctive relief along with compensatory and punitive damages against Taylor and the bank..
On June 19, 1986, the Court noted that guidelines issued by the EEOC specified that sexual harassment leading to non-economic injury was a form of sex discrimination prohibited by Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. The Supreme Court recognized that plaintiffs could establish violations of the Act "by proving that discrimination based on sex has created a hostile or abusive work environment."
[TABLE OF CONTENTS]
14th Amendment
The amendment, enacted on June 13, 1866, was designed to give citizenship and civil liberties to recently freed slaves. States were prohibited from denying or reducing the privileges of citizens of the United States, depriving any person of his life, liberty, or property without due process of law, or denying to any person the equal protection of the laws.
[TABLE OF CONTENTS]
|
