Civil Rights and Violations of Rights

A civil right is an enforceable right or privilege given to all Americans by the United States Constitution, the Bill of Rights, or various Civil Rights Acts and Legislation. Examples of civil rights are freedom of speech, the right to vote, the right to equality in public places, and the right to be free from discrimination. Discrimination occurs when the civil rights of an individual are denied or interfered with because he or she is a member of a particular group, class or race. Laws have been enacted to prevent discrimination based on a person's race, sex, religion, age, previous condition of servitude, physical limitation, national origin and in some instances sexual orientation. Your civil rights are vitally important. The Consumer Activist supports and fights for the rights of individuals whose civil rights have been violated.

Click here to contact us if you feel that you or someone you know has suffered a civil rights violation.

For further information on your civil rights, please consult the websites listed below.

Federal Constitution and Statutes

• The United States Constitution -- http://www.gpoaccess.gov/constitution/index.html

• The United States Code (search for chapter 21 of title 42, the Civil Rights Act) -- http://www.gpoaccess.gov/uscode/index.html

Key Internet Sources

• Human Rights Around the World   --  http://www.derechos.org/human-rights/world.html

• U.S. Department of Justice Civil Rights Division -- http://www.usdoj.gov/crt/

• U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Community -- http://www.eeoc.gov/index.html

• Human Rights Around the World -- http://www.derechos.org/human-rights/world.html

• Civil Rights Resources -- http://www.reportingcivilrights.org/resources/

• AAAS Human Rights Action Network -- http://shr.aaas.org/aaashran.htm

• American Civil Liberties Union -- http://www.aclu.org/

• Amnesty International -- http://www.amnesty.org/

• freeadvice.com -- http://www.freeadvice.com/law/562us.htm

• Human Rights Watch -- http://www.hrw.org/

• American Bar Association Section of Individual Rights & Responsibilities -- http://www.abanet.org/irr/home.html