A civil right is an enforceable right or privilege, which if interfered with by another gives rise to an action for injury. Examples of civil rights are freedom of speech, press, and assembly; the right to vote; freedom from involuntary servitude; and the right to equality in public places. Discrimination occurs when the civil rights of an individual are denied or interfered with because of their membership in a particular group or class. Statutes have been enacted to prevent discrimination based on race, sex, religion, age, previous condition of servitude, physical limitation, national origin, and in some instances sexual preference. Civil rights attorneys handle cases involving the rights of individuals to be free from unequal treatment (or discrimination) based on legally-protected characteristics such as race, gender, disability, national origin, age, sexual orientation, and religion. Civil rights cases can arise in a number of settings -- including employment, housing, lending, and education.
Lithonia is a suburban village in eastern DeKalb County, Georgia, and it is incorporated as a city. Lithonia's population was 2,187 at the 2000 census. Lithonia is located at 33°42′46″N 84°6′21″W / 33.71278°N 84.10583°W / 33.71278; -84.10583 (33.712658, -84.105897). According to the United States Census Bureau, this village has a total area of 0.8 square miles, all land. "Lithonia" means "city/town of stone". Lithonia is in the heart of the Georgian granite-quarrying and viewing region, hence the name of the town, from the Greek lithos, for stone. The huge nearby granite dome - the world's largest, Stone Mountain, is composed largely of a rock called Lithonia gneiss, a form of granite. The city of Lithonia is in metropolitan Atlanta, Georgia. The Lithonia Lighting Company, a manufacturer of household light fixtures, was founded in Lithonia in 1946, but it was moved to nearby Conyers in 1957.