To the Point
US Supreme Court and the Convoluted History of Civil Rights
The Civil Rights Era arguably began in 1954, when the US Supreme Court desegregated the public schools — in a decision that was unanimous.
By Warren Olney • • 1 min readThe Civil Rights Era arguably began in 1954, when the US Supreme Court desegregated the public schools — in a decision that was unanimous. This week the US Supreme Court made history with rulings on the Voting Rights Act of 1965 and two cases involving same-sex marriage, but what kind of history? The court is so sharply divided that legal scholars are still trying to figure out what the decisions will mean. Can states and local agencies now get away with denying minorities the right to vote? What's next for same-sex marriage? We talk with civil-rights historian Taylor Branch and others about what happened this week and what to expect in the future.
Warren Olney
former KCRW broadcaster
Anna Scott
Former KCRW Housing and Homelessness Reporter
Katie Cooper
Producer, 'One year Later'
Liyna Anwar
Assistant Producer, To the Point/Which Way, LA?
Peniel Joseph
historian and professor at the University of Texas at Austin, and founding director of the school’s Center for the Study of Race and Democracy
Ilya Shapiro
Cato Institute
Taylor Branch
Pulitzer Prize-winning author and historian