Citizenship and Social Class

“Citizenship requires a direct sense of community membership based on loyalty to a civilization which is a common possession. It is a loyalty of free men endowed with rights and protected by a common law. Its growth is stimulated both by the struggle to win those rights and by their enjoyment when won.”

The passage above highlights the importance of social responsibility and the common ground man seek in order to be considered equal in civil liberties and standards. Responsible individuals who contribute to the building of this society should and must be protected by constitutional law. The idea of acceptance as a member or part of a society enhances a sense of pride to those who withstand the strife to gain their basic liberties.

I chose this excerpt from Marshall because it reflects the conflicts African Americans as well as other minorities contend with in order to have equal voting rights. African Americans and immigrants basically carried this nation on their backs. It’s evident of the disenfranchisement minorities experienced in this country in order to have a voice. Unfortunately, our rights as minorities continue to be compromised to this day 50 years after the implementation of the Voter Rights Amendment of 1965.