It means forbidding unfair treatment or unequal opportunities based on specific characteristics such as race, color, religion, sex, or national origin.
Related terms
Segregation: The enforced separation of different racial groups in various aspects of daily life.
Affirmative Action: Policies designed to give preferential treatment to historically disadvantaged groups in order to promote equality and diversity.
Jim Crow Laws: State and local laws enforcing racial segregation in the Southern United States after Reconstruction until the mid-20th century.