Mr.
Schiff: Hi, welcome to "FBI 100, A Closer
Look." I'm Neal Schiff of the Bureau's Office
of Public Affairs along with FBI Historian Dr.
John Fox. John, the FBI has investigated violations
of civil rights laws for a long time now?
Dr.
Fox: "Yes Neal, in fact civil rights violations
were a part of our original jurisdiction when
we were created in 1908. In those days about the
only federal civil rights law there was were anti
peonage acts forcing someone to work for you to
pay off a debt."
Mr. Schiff: John, how did civil rights cases
the FBI worked on evolve over the years?
Dr. Fox: "Well Neal, part of it had to
do, of course, with laws that Congress passed.
But it also had to do with things that were going
on in the day. In the 1920s, for instance, there
was a big up-tick in Ku Klux Klan activity. And
we were asked to come in on some of those investigations.
We didn't necessarily have civil rights laws that
we could investigate against Klan members but
we did get a major Klan leader on an anti-prostitution
measure that was actually on the books at the
time."
Mr.
Schiff:
What kind of things can happen that can bring
the FBI to investigate civil rights?
Dr.
Fox: "We investigation activities of people
who are motivated by racial hatred under some
of the hate crimes acts that are out there on
the books. We investigate crimes that might be
committed under the Color of Law. The violations
of the civil rights of a prisoner who has been
arrested and perhaps is beaten in prison or by
law enforcement officers who are going outside
of what they're supposed to be doing. We also
investigate things under the 1964 Civil Rights
Act and the 1965 Voting Rights Act. Two key measures
in ensuring that all Americans are given access
and the freedom to have the rights that each of
us have."
Mr.
Schiff:
If anyone feels their civil rights are being violated,
call the nearest FBI office. Our phone number
is in the front page of your telephone book. From
the FBI's Public Affairs office, along with Bureau
Historian Dr. John Fox, I'm Neal Schiff with "FBI
100, A Closer Look."
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