SCOTUS

The First Civil Rights Act (the Civil Rights Act of 1866) was a landmark piece of legislation intended to protect the rights of formerly enslaved people following the American Civil War. It was the first time Congress bypassed a presidential veto to pass a major law, asserting that all people born in the U.S. were citizens, regardless of race.

The Civil Rights Act of 1866

The Act was designed to provide a legal foundation for the 13th Amendment. Its primary goals were:

 * Granting Citizenship: It declared that all people born in the United States were citizens.

 * Legal Equality: It guaranteed the right to make and enforce contracts, sue, give evidence in court, and inherit, purchase, or lease property.

Michelle Obama's thoughts on the Supreme Court decision on Affirmative Action:

Back in college, I was one of the few Black students on my campus, and I was proud of getting into such a respected school. I knew I'd worked hard for it. But still, I sometimes wondered if people thought I got there because of affirmative action. It was a shadow that students like me couldn’t shake, whether those doubts came from the outside or inside our own minds.