When one thinks of “civil rights,” images of Rev. Martin Luther King and various events from the 1950’s and 60’s may come to mind. That was when people were denied economic, political and cultural access to opportunity based solely upon their skin color.  Today, the term rights and civil rights are thrown around quite a bit for all sorts of matters and by a whole host of political interests vying for governmental or societal approval.  Many people may not realize that there are actual criteria established by the courts to determine a civil rights or minority classification. They are very logical and understandable, particularly when seen in light of the past civil rights struggles and subsequent governmental responses to those past injustices.
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