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.
Greenville is a village and census-designated place (CDP) in the town of Smithfield in Providence County, Rhode Island, United States. The population was 8,626 at the 2000 census. The CDP is centered around the village of Greenville but also encompasses the nearby villages of West Greenville and Spragueville, as well as the Mountaindale reservoir and beach. The village of Greenville is named after Revolutionary War General, Nathanael Greene, who was born in Rhode Island in 1742. Greenville was first settled in the 1600s. The village contains the Greenville Baptist Church, and there are many apple orchards in the surrounding area. This area of Smithfield, is known to be the more wealthy section. The area was active in the Free Will Baptist movement in the nineteenth century, and the Smithville Seminary, a Free Baptist institution, was nearby. The Ku Klux Klan was active in the area in the 1920s. U.S. Route 44, known locally as "Putnam Pike" runs through the center of Greenville.