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.
Hakalau is a small unincorporated community located along the Hamakua coast about 15 miles (24 km) north of Hilo on the Big Island of Hawaii in the U.S. state of Hawaii. It was once a thriving, multiethnic sugar plantation town up until the early 1960s at which time the plantation originally called Hakalau Plantation Co. began to be phased-out. Small family farms now exist growing tropical fruits, taro, flowers, coffee, or cattle. Some historical sites remain from the plantation era. The privately owned sugar plantation managers home built in the early 1900s still exists today, along with two warehouses built in 1920 and an old theater, presently operating as the Hakalau U.S. Post Office. Located just below the ocean cliff where the Hakalau stream meets the bay, the old sugar mill ruins are still visible. During the 1800s the Hakalau Bay was used to transfer goods and passengers from smaller boats to larger ships. Today, the bay has been used mostly by local surfers and fisherman. Hakalau now has a small, day use, state owned park with picnic tables and ocean access for recreational use, located at the bottom of the Hakalau gulch.