• Advertise
  • Donate
  • Subscribe
    • Become a print subscriber
    • Sign up for e-Newsletter
    • e-Editions
Friday, September 29, 2023
No Result
View All Result
Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder
  • News & Features
    • National
    • Local
    • Special Editions
      • MLK Legacy
      • Black History Month
      • The MSR Celebrates Women’s History Month
  • All Sections
    • Opinion
      • Mellaneous by Mel Reeves
      • Word on the Street
      • Reaching Out From Within
    • Health + Wellness
      • Women’s Wellness
      • Parenting Today
      • Minnesota Cancer Alliance Breast Cancer Gaps Project
    • Sports
      • Timberwolves/NBA
      • Lynx/WNBA
        • 20 in 20
      • Twins/MLB
      • MN Wild/NHL
      • Vikings/NFL
    • Business
      • Small Business Month Celebration
      • Black Business Spotlight
      • Finances FYI
    • Arts + Culture
    • Photo Galleries
      • Photo of the Week
    • MSR Forefront Digital Roundtable Series
      • MSR Forefront Highlights
    • Go Green
    • Education
    • Bulletin
    • Jobs & Notices
      • Legals
      • Announcements
  • Events
    • Submit an event!
  • Obits
  • Sister Spokesman
  • e-Editions
Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder
  • News & Features
    • National
    • Local
    • Special Editions
      • MLK Legacy
      • Black History Month
      • The MSR Celebrates Women’s History Month
  • All Sections
    • Opinion
      • Mellaneous by Mel Reeves
      • Word on the Street
      • Reaching Out From Within
    • Health + Wellness
      • Women’s Wellness
      • Parenting Today
      • Minnesota Cancer Alliance Breast Cancer Gaps Project
    • Sports
      • Timberwolves/NBA
      • Lynx/WNBA
        • 20 in 20
      • Twins/MLB
      • MN Wild/NHL
      • Vikings/NFL
    • Business
      • Small Business Month Celebration
      • Black Business Spotlight
      • Finances FYI
    • Arts + Culture
    • Photo Galleries
      • Photo of the Week
    • MSR Forefront Digital Roundtable Series
      • MSR Forefront Highlights
    • Go Green
    • Education
    • Bulletin
    • Jobs & Notices
      • Legals
      • Announcements
  • Events
    • Submit an event!
  • Obits
  • Sister Spokesman
  • e-Editions
No Result
View All Result
Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder
No Result
View All Result

KNOW YOUR RIGHTS! By Oliver Nelson—A brief history of the Supreme Court and civil rights

by MSR News Online
September 7, 2011
66
VIEWS
Share on FacebookShare on LinkedIn

“A right delayed is a right denied.” — Martin Luther King, Jr.
My name is Oliver Edward Nelson, III. I am an attorney at Magna Law, a minority-owned local law firm. Our firm’s motto is “Serving Our Community,” and I am hopeful that I can use this space to, in some way, further that end. My intended purpose for this column is to (hopefully) help members of our community to better know and understand their rights; hence, the name of my new column is this: “Know Your Rights!”

Being a lawyer, I will be focusing this column mostly on legal issues. This being my first piece, I wanted to write about the Supreme Court cases that have been reflective of our people’s and our country’s long, painful march toward fairness.
Like our country, the United States Supreme Court certainly has not always applied the concept of “All Men Are Created Equal” equally. Slavery in America existed long after the Declaration of Independence was adopted on July 4, 1776.
The court, in Dred Scott v. Sanford, 60 U.S. 393 (1857), in essence legitimized slavery by ruling that slaves can be treated like property and that the Constitution does not protect slaves or even former slaves.
According to the court in the Dred Scott decision, the authors of the Constitution had regarded all Black people “as beings of an inferior order, and altogether unfit to associate with the white race either in social or political relations, and so far inferior that they had no rights which the white man was bound to respect, and that the negro might justly and lawfully be reduced to slavery for his benefit. He was bought and sold, and treated as an ordinary article of merchandise and traffic whenever a profit could be made by it.”
After the Civil War and the abolishment of slavery, various states, primarily in the South, began implementing what became known as Jim Crow laws. These laws allowed for the segregation of races. The Supreme Court was again on the wrong side of history when it issued it’s ruling in Plessy v. Ferguson, 163 U.S. 537 (1896). The court held that racial segregation laws were, indeed, constitutional.
With the court’s approval, the Jim Crow ideology remained fundamentally in place well into the 1950’s. In large part, this gave rise to the Civil Rights Movement. This movement was multi-pronged. There were marches and speeches. There were boycotts and acts of civil disobedience.
And there were also lawsuits. Five such cases were consolidated into a single case that brought about a landmark decision that changed our nation. In Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka, 347 U.S. 483 (1954), the Supreme Court overturned the decision in Plessy v. Ferguson. The court found that “in the field of public education, the doctrine of ‘separate but equal’ has no place.” State-sponsored segregation was deemed unconstitutional.
Indeed, civil rights litigation has been of tremendous importance in this country. Thousands of such cases have been filed over the years. Many remain highly influential. We the people have come a long way, and our march toward fairness continues.

The information that you read in this column is general in nature and is not meant to be a substitute for specific legal advice from an attorney.
Oliver Nelson is an attorney at Magna Law Firm in Golden Valley. For questions or column subject suggestions, call 763-417-0091 or email info@magnalaw.net.

Support Black local news

Help amplify Black voices by donating to the MSR. Your contribution enables critical coverage of issues affecting the community and empowers authentic storytelling.

Donate Now!

Share this:

  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to print (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window)

Like this:

Like Loading...
ADVERTISEMENT
Previous Post

Creating a culture of ‘yes’ in our schools—By Bernadeia Johnson

Next Post

ISSUES & NEW PERSPECTIVES By Lucky Rosenbloom—Don’t be afraid to challenge ‘last-hired first-fired’ in your organization

MSR News Online

Reach the MSR staff at msrnewsonline@spokesman-recorder.com.

You Might Also Like

Wanted: Younger workforce ready to learn about climate jobs
Go Green

Wanted: Younger workforce ready to learn about climate jobs

Gopher tennis coach rebuilds a competitive team
Sports

Gopher tennis coach rebuilds a competitive team

College athletes need help negotiating NIL deals
Sports

College athletes need help negotiating NIL deals

Southside group attempts to rebuild trust in police
Local

Southside group attempts to rebuild trust in police

Employment

Minnesota Center for Environmental Advocacy (MCEA) is Hiring!

Linemen lead St. Paul Central past city rival
Sports

Linemen lead St. Paul Central past city rival

Next Post

ISSUES & NEW PERSPECTIVES By Lucky Rosenbloom—Don’t be afraid to challenge ‘last-hired first-fired’ in your organization

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Twitter
  • YouTube
ADVERTISEMENT

Upcoming Events

Sep 12
September 12 @ 6:30 pm-December 18 @ 9:30 pm Recurring

Vic Volare Presents MUSIC FOR MARTINIS ft: Vic’s Fabulous Nightclub Academy

Sep 29
7:30 pm-9:30 pm Recurring

Ayodele Casel Rooted

Sep 30
9:00 am-1:00 pm Recurring

Cars and Caves

Sep 30
10:00 am-12:00 pm

dem Blessings for Parents: A Morning of Creative Nourishment with Sharon Bridgforth

View Calendar
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT

Read our latest e-Edition!

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT

Subscribe

  • Home/Office Delivery
  • Weekly e-newsletter
  • e-Editions

Support

  • Donate
  • Subscribe
  • MSR Newsstand Locations

Connect

  • About
    • MSR Staff
  • Contact
  • Send a news tip
  • About
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms

© 2023 Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder

No Result
View All Result
  • News & Features
    • Local
    • National
  • All Sections
    • Arts & Culture
    • Health & Wellness
      • Women’s Wellness
      • Parenting Today
      • MN Cancer Alliance Breast Cancer Gaps Project
    • Business
      • Black Business Spotlight
      • Finances FYI
      • Small Business Month Celebration
    • Opinion
    • Sports
  • Events
  • Obits
  • Sister Spokesman
  • Donate
  • Subscribe

© 2023 Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder

%d bloggers like this: