Criminal Justice
This 1986 act established a 100:1 sentencing disparity between crack and powder cocaine possession and mandated a minimum five-year sentence for crack possession.
The Anti-Drug Abuse Act of 1986
In this Booker T. Washington speech, he suggested that African Americans receive basic education and job training in exchange for forgoing full political rights.
The Atlanta Compromise
In this 1978 Supreme Court case, the Court ruled that strict racial quotas in college admissions were unconstitutional, but that race could still be considered as one factor.
Regents of the University of California v. Bakke
Passed in 1882, this was the first major U.S. immigration law and marked the beginning of formal restrictions against a specific immigrant group.
The Chinese Exclusion Act
This landmark case set the “reasonable suspicion” standard, paving the way for modern “Stop-and-Frisk” practices by law enforcement.
Terry v. Ohio
With about 80% of those imprisoned under this law being Black, critics argue it is an act of institutional racism.
The Anti-Drug Abuse Act of 1986
This term refers to the collection of unspoken social norms, values, and expectations that are necessary to succeed in school but are usually never taught explicitly.
The hidden curriculum
This court case in 2003 upheld the constitutionality of race-conscious admissions policies that help create a diverse educational environment, stressing the educational benefits of a diverse campus.
Grutter v. Bollinger
Introduced in 2012, this policy was designed to protect immigrant children brought to the U.S. illegally, although it has faced criticism for potential risks and data collection issues.
DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals)
This 1986 decision established that peremptory challenges in jury selection cannot be used solely to exclude jurors based on race.
Batson v. Kentucky
Laws that restricted Black people’s rights to own property, do business, or even move freely, these also featured vagrancy provisions that criminalized unemployment among Blacks.
The Black Codes
This practice involves adjusting one’s speech, attire, or behavior to better align with mainstream cultural expectations, often to secure fair treatment or opportunities.
Code Switching
Decided the same day as Grutter, this case struck down a points-based admissions system that automatically awarded bonus points to minority applicants.
Gratz v. Bollinger
This legal case from 1893 determined that deportation procedures were administrative rather than punitive measures.
Fong Yue Ting v. United States
This 1954 case affirmed that nationalities are protected under the 14th Amendment and that an all-white jury does not guarantee a fair trial for people of color.
Hernandez v. Texas
Initially used to continue economic exploitation after slavery, these programs forced prisoners to work for private companies without pay.
Convict leasing programs
The legendary group of nine Black high school students whose brave attempt to integrate a Central High School became a landmark event in U.S. civil rights history.
The Little Rock Nine
This 2016 case involved UT-Austin’s admissions policy, which led to a ruling that it had to meet strict scrutiny while being “narrowly tailored” in considering race.
Fisher v. University of Texas
This concept refers to the prejudice against foreign-born citizens, often manifesting in policies and practices that favor native-born citizens.
Nativism
A 1950 case in which the Supreme Court ordered the integration of the University of Texas Law School, marking a significant victory for civil rights in higher education.
Sweatt v. Painter
This “tough on crime” policy, characterized by limits on parole, mandatory minimum sentences, and the 3 strikes law, contributed substantially to what is now known as this phenomenon in the U.S.
Mass incarceration
This concept— the “sum total” of one’s learned cultural knowledge —is vital to understanding why students from wealthier backgrounds often have an advantage in education.
Cultural Capital
In a recent 2023 ruling, this pair of cases declared it unconstitutional to use race as a factor in college admissions, effectively reversing decades of precedent.
Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard and UNC
Describing the varied ways second-generation immigrants blend into U.S. society, this term highlights that assimilation does not always follow a single, uniform path.
Segmented Assimilation
A 1936 decision that forced the integration of Maryland’s law school, one of the early successful legal challenges won by the NAACP.
Murray v. Pearson