Skip to Main Content

Civil Rights and African American History

An overview of government publications, by department or agency, related to civil rights and African American history

On this Page

"The Civil Rights Act of 1957 created the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights. Since then, Congress has reauthorized or extended the legislation creating the Commission several times; the last reauthorization was in 1994 by the Civil Rights Commission Amendments Act of 1994.

Established as an independent, bipartisan, fact-finding federal agency, our mission is to inform the development of national civil rights policy and enhance enforcement of federal civil rights laws. We pursue this mission by studying alleged deprivations of voting rights and alleged discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, age, disability, or national origin, or in the administration of justice. We play a vital role in advancing civil rights through objective and comprehensive investigation, research, and analysis on issues of fundamental concern to the federal government and the public."   from, usccr.gov/about/mission

The documents found on this page are all publications from the US Commission on Civil Rights.

Thurgood Marshall Law Library

The Economic progress of black men in America

The Economic status of Black women : an exploratory investigation

Equal Education opportunity: an analysis of the racial achievement gap in Kentucky urban schools

The Educational effectiveness of historically black colleges and universities

Who is enforcing civil rights in Arkansas : is there a need for a state civil rights agency?

Racial and ethnic tensions in American communities : poverty, inequality, and discrimination

Beyond suspensions: examining school discipline policies and connections to the school-to-prison pipeline for students of color with disabilities

Historical publications of the United States Commission on Civil Rights

Twenty years after Brown : a report of the United States Commission on Civil Rights

Civil rights challenges of the 21st century : a view from the states

Consultation on Police Practices and the Preservation of Civil Rights

Redefining rights in America: the civil rights record of the George W. Bush Administration, 2001-2004

Peaceful coexistence: reconciling nondiscrimination principles with civil liberties

The Federal civil rights enforcement effort--1974

The civil rights implications of cash bail

Civil Rights Division activities and programs

Civil Rights and the Mortgage Crisis

Pretrial detention, release, and bail practice in Oregon

Locked up for being poor : the need for bail reform in Kentucky

Police practices and civil rights in New York City

Civil rights challenges of the 21st century : a view from the states