Civil rights are an important part of American constitutional protections. The state of Missouri has had a prominent role in the history of Civil Rights.

"An active and ambitious civil rights movement was present in Missouri as early as 1819, when protests broke out over the Missouri Compromise. Yet the state's role in our nation's quest for racial equality has often been overlooked, even though it spearheaded some of the most decisive Supreme Court cases in our country's civil rights history. Perhaps one of the most momentous cases occurred in 1857 when Dred Scott v. John F.A. Sandford indirectly motivated the American Civil War after the Supreme Court ruled that Scott, because he was not white, was not a citizen and therefore had no standing in federal court. In 1948, the U.S. Supreme Court case of Shelley v. Kraemer helped secure the right of African-Americans to equal housing. This case and others acted as catalysts for the pursuit of equality through the court system all across the country."

Source: https://civilrightstrail.com/state/missouri/Links to an external site.

As a result of these and other state and national cases and laws, Missouri Civil Rights Laws are in effect to protect citizens. To learn more, visit the Missouri Civil Rights Law website and answer the following:

What is the definition of a civil right? At what level of government are most civil rights protected?

Under Missouri Civil Rights Law, what types of discrimination does state law prohibit?

If you feel your rights have been violated during hiring or termination, where may you file a claim?

look for two links related to Missouri Civil Rights history OR Missouri Civil Rights Law. in a few sentences what you find on each that you found interesting and provide the links to your sources.