In honor of Black History Month the CRIV blog is highlighting some of the collections related to the history of Civil Rights. These collections contain photos, documents and other resources that ca…

Yesterday we had the privilege to honor the life of Martin Luther King Jr. and celebrate MLK Day. A bill to establish the holiday was signed into law on November 2, 1983 by President Ronald Regan. “Dr. King had awakened something strong and true,” Regan said in the Rose Garden. “A sense that true justice must be colorblind, and that among white and black Americans, as he put it, ‘Their destiny is tied up with our destiny, and their freedom is inextricably bound to our freedom; we cannot walk alone.’” Quote from Remarks on Signing the Bill Making the Birthday of Martin Luther King, Jr., a National Holiday. Regan’s full remarks following the signing of the bill are available in the Public Papers of the Presidents, which are available online and physically in the Government Documents section of your Law Library (Location: lwdo).

"Law Schools and Bar associations are sharing some excellent stories as part of black history month."

"The legal profession which was almost entirely white slowly began to crack open its doors to lawyers of color in the 1970s. The 1972-73 Prelaw Handbook (p. 9) noted that "the number of lawyers from minority groups is still disproportionately small" but there were "signs of change." "

"On January 5 2022 the governor of Louisiana posthumously pardoned Homer Plessy the defendant in the famous 1896 U.S. Supreme Court case Plessy v. Ferguson. Plessy is known for affirming the legal theory of 'separate but equal' that was used to justify Jim Crow laws in the 19th and 20th centuries. It was later overturned in part by Brown v. Board of Education."

"Arizona recdisently expanded provisions of the Arizona Civil Rights Act (ACRA) to cover pregnancy and pregnancy-related conditions. Additionally following a national trend in response to perceived state and federal inaction cities in Arizona on their own passed new ordinances that expands protected categories and coverage."

With more than 450 protests occurring in towns and cities of the United States and across three continents, some are calling this the biggest civil rights movement yet. Join us as we explore past civil rights movements in U.S. history, and what changes have occurred as a result.

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