Civil Rights are the rights and privileges to which we are entitled under the laws that govern our nation. In America, our civil rights are guaranteed in the Constitution, particularly in the Bill of Rights and other Amendments.

Even though the Emancipation Proclamation freed the slaves in 1865 and the 13th Amendment outlawed slavery and guaranteed black Americans the rights to which all American citizens are entitled, many black Americans in the South were not allowed to exercise their civil rights, even until the 1960s. The Civil Rights Movement in the United States helped to win equality for all Americans.

In 1987, a Presidential Proclamation declared August 12 to be commemorated as Civil Rights Day. This day is an opportunity to honor those who worked to help create an America where all Americans' civil rights are protected. It is also a time to stand up for the continuing protection of our civil rights guaranteed in the Constitution.

In recent years, some have suggested that Martin Luther King Day be observed as Civil Rights Day to commemorate the greater cause to which Dr. King and so many others dedicated their lives for the good of us all.