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.
Dodge is an unincorporated community in eastern Walker County, Texas, United States, on the northern edge of the Sam Houston National Forest. It lies along FM 405 east of the city of Huntsville, the county seat of Walker County. Its elevation is 400 feet (122 m). Although Dodge is unincorporated, it has a post office, with the ZIP code of 77334; the ZCTA for ZIP Code 77334 had a population of 184 at the 2000 census. Although settlers first arrived in the Dodge area in the 1820s, the community was founded in 1872 by William H. Parmer, the son of Martin Parmer. Dodge grew up around the Dodge Station of the Houston and Great Northern Railroad; it was named for Phelps Dodge, the company that constructed the community. Dodge's post office was established in 1881. Although the community flourished for several decades, it declined with the coming of the Great Depression.