Case of Heart of Atlanta motel

Case of Heart of Atlanta motel

Importance of the case

The case of the Heart of Atlanta Motel and the United states was significant due to the location in which the Heart of Atlanta’s motel was situated. The hotel was located near the 75 and 85 interstates and also boarded major Highways in Georgia. Most of the clients who visited the hotel were nonresidents of the state, and therefore the case was crucial because it affected interstate commerce by barring the blacks from other states from visiting the hotel (Davis & Cortner, 2001). The discrimination of the blacks was a grave matter because a significant number of black people travelled through the area, and if they heard that the Heart of Atlanta motel rejects black people, then they would opt to go to other routes due to lack of housing and find other hotels. This definitely would affect interstate commerce with time and would possibly lead to the collapse of other businesses.

The case was also critical because it was a representation of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which was the first crucial act by congress regarding civil rights related to racial discrimination since 1875 (Grofman, 2000). For the past a hundred years, race relations had been dominated by racial segregations where people were separated according to their racial backgrounds and ethnic groups. The system had been shadowed with the name ‘separate but equal,’, but in real sense, it was represented with poor accommodation and treatment to other ethnic groups such as Africans. The case, therefore, was set to determine a new beginning of civil rights regarding racism that was slowly becoming a norm.

Lastly, the case was influential in the diplomatic relations that would be affected by its outcome (Gleason, 2006). Many civil organizations around the world were all looking into how America would treat racial discrimination. Considering that the country consists of people from various ethnic backgrounds, including Chinese and Indians, the rest of the world would not understand that it was only the blacks that are mistreated . Still, theywould believe that White Americans are racists who mistreat people they don’t share with same background.

Why the supreme court of US developed the “effects on interstate commerce” test

Interstate commerce test was developed by the Supreme Court because the owner of the hotel was only discriminating a specific race and it also touched on the clause of commerce (Davis & Cortner). Considering the effects of the interstate tests, the activity to be regulated does not necessarily be interstate commerce alone. Therefore, any internal state activity that may influence the commerce between states is regulated by the federal government and even by the congress.

Reasons why most commerce are considered interstate commerce

Yes most of the commerce that deal with different people from other states was considered interstate commerce. Heart motel was one of the interstate commerce that was located between major states and near a major highway making it qualify to undergo commerce test (Davis & Cortner, 2001). The federal government had the duty to regulate interstate commerce involving exchange of goods, transportation of commodities and accommodation of traders.

Conclusion

The court’s decision to uphold the Heart of Atlanta case was important because it played an important role in passing of the civil rights of 1964. It presented the courts ability to ban racial discrimination in privately owned institutions. The case also impacted other cases such as the overturning of the Act of Violence against women in 2000 after they ruled it was unconstitutional under section 5 of the fourteenth amendment (Harmon, 2000). The fight for civil rights has enabled the United States to be seen as a reference country for peace and justice.

References

Davis, T., & Cortner, R. (2001). Civil Rights and Public Accommodations: The Heart of Atlanta Motel and McClung Cases. The American Journal Of Legal History, 45(2), 217. https://doi.org/10.2307/3185369

Gleason, P. (2006). Matthew Frye Jacobson.Roots Too: White Ethnic Revival in Post‐Civil Rights America.:Roots Too: White Ethnic Revival in Post‐Civil Rights America. The American Historical Review, 111(4), 1225-1226. https://doi.org/10.1086/ahr.111.4.1225a

Grofman, B. (2000). Legacies of the 1964 Civil Rights Act. University Press of Virginia.

Harmon, R. (2000). American civil rights leaders. Enslow Publishers.