Equality

            The core democratic value I will be focusing on in my report will be equality. Equality means that every individual is created the same, every individual shall receive the same treatment, and every individual shall receive equal opportunities. This is a main area of focus in the United States, but still today hasn't been totally achieved. In the next few pages of this report I will inform you of the history, political significance, and current applications of this core democratic value.
             The 14th amendment of the United States Constitution was initially based on the Civil Rights Act of 1866. The Civil Rights Act of 1866 was enacted after the Civil War and defeat of the southern states, which were fighting to maintain slavery. The 39th Congress submitted the proposed amendment to the states on June 13, 1866. On July 9, 1868, South Carolina approved the amendment, the 28th state to do so. This meant that three-fourths of the thirty-seven states at that time had approved the amendment and it became part of the United States Constitution. The 14th amendment guarantees to all citizens equal protection under the law. .
             After the law was put into place African Americans still faced the struggles of segregation and discrimination. Many famous African American activists fought to end this horrid period of inequality by standing up for their rights and forming organizations such as The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People. It was obvious that the 14th amendment did not bring equality nor stop African Americans from being discriminated against for jobs and getting into colleges. The United States Congress acted on this in 1964 by passing the Civil Rights Act. This was a revision of the 14th amendment which barred both public and private institutions from discriminating against individuals because of race, color, sex, ethnicity or national origin. .
             In December 1964, Martin Luther King Jr.