Racism, Discrimination, and the Law
Marcella Monk Flake
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Civil Rights and Liberties
As earlier stated, The U.S. Constitution was not effective in ensuring the rights and liberties of all people. Because race, servitude, religion and national origin were grounds for legal discrimination, the Fourteenth Amendment was passed to eradicate “invidious discrimination.” The Fourteenth Amendment provided equal protection under the law for all people. It made it illegal to discriminate against any person or group for any reason. Although the purpose of this amendment was quite clear, the Supreme Court vacillated between decisions that served to uphold the intent of the amendment and those that rationalized the racial discrimination meant to be eradicated.
