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.
Beaverdam is a small unincorporated community in Hanover County in the central region of the U.S. state of Virginia. It was located on the Virginia Central Railroad, which later became part of the Chesapeake and Ohio Railroad. It is the location of two historic locations: Scotchtown, a residence of Patrick Henry, and the Beaverdam Depot. It was also the childhood home of Thomas Nelson Page, a notable author and American diplomat in the 20th century. Consisting primarily of farmland, today it is an outlying suburb of Richmond. The railroad still passes through, operated by the Buckingham Branch Railroad, a Virginia-based short line railroad. Beaverdam Elementary School of Hanover County Public Schools celebrated their centennial anniversary in 2006.