Know Your Rights. Understand the Law.
Plain-language academic curriclium guides to civil rights law — written for citizens, not lawyers. Voting rights, fair housing, criminal justice, employment, and the Constitution, explained clearly and backed by primary sources.
No legal training required. Every guide explains the law in plain language, with real-world examples.
Every claim is backed by statute, case law, or official data — with citations you can verify.
All guides are reviewed by NCRRRI's legal advisory panel before publication.
Plain-Language Civil Rights Guides
Showing all 10 guides
Key Legal Terms Defined
Civil rights law uses precise language. These definitions explain the terms you'll encounter most often in statutes, court opinions, and NCRRRI reports.
Literacy Is the Foundation. Testimony Is the Action.
Understanding your rights is the first step. NCRRRI's public hearings give citizens the opportunity to put that knowledge to work — adding their experiences to the national civil rights record.
No testimonies have been collected yet. The public record opens when each city's hearing is officially convened, beginning September 2026.
Start with the literacy guide most relevant to your experience — voting rights, housing, criminal justice, or employment.
Use NCRRRI's data portal to see how conditions in your city compare to national patterns.
Use the testimony preparation module in the youth curriculum — or the adult version in the College program — to draft your statement.
When your city's hearing opens, register as a witness and add your experience to the permanent public record.