ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Civil Rights Act of 1875

The Civil Rights Act of 1875 was a law passed by the United States government a long time ago. This law was a big deal because it said that everyone in the country, no matter what color their skin was, had the same rights when it came to things like going to school or staying in a hotel.

Before this law, some people were treated differently because of the color of their skin. For example, some restaurants wouldn't serve black people, or some schools would only let white students go there. This was not fair, and the Civil Rights Act tried to make things fair for everyone.

The law said that all people, no matter what their skin color was, had the right to go to school, churches, theaters, and other public places. It also said that black people should be able to serve on a jury and that they should be able to buy or rent a house or apartment wherever they wanted.

Sadly, even though the Civil Rights Act of 1875 was passed, some people still didn't follow the law. It took a long time for things to change, and many brave people had to stand up for their rights and fight for what was fair. Today, we have many more laws that protect everyone's rights, but we still have work to do to make sure everyone is treated equally.