Glossary

Legal Defense Fund

the NAACP’s legal organization dedicated to fighting for racial justice, founded by Justice Thurgood Marshall 1940

legal rationale

An expression of the reasons behind how a decision was made that is grounded in law.

Legislature

law-making body

Letter from Birmingham Jail

Martin Luther King, Jr., composed a letter from his prison cell in Birmingham in response to local religious leaders’ criticisms of the campaign.

Libel

a published false statement that is damaging to a person’s reputation

Literacy tests

exams to determine if a person was able to meet the comprehension requirements needed to vote, commonly used by Southern states to keep Black citizens from voting.

Litigation

the process of taking legal action

Little Rock Nine

The first group of African-American students who attended Central High School in Little Rock, Arkansas.

Lobby

to seek to influence politicians or public officials on a particular issue

Lottery

A means of raising money by selling tickets and giving prizes to the holders of numbers drawn at random.