This Week In American History: On July 2, 1964 President Lyndon Johnson signed the Civil Rights Act of 1964 which ended segregation in public places and banned employment discrimination on the basis of races, color, religion, sex, or nation of origin. It is considered one of the most important pieces of legislation of the civil rights movement.
Beginnings of The Civil Rights Act
President John F. Kennedy first proposed The Civil Rights Act. It faced strong opposition from Southern members of Congress. Nevertheless, Kennedy’s successor, Lyndon B. Johnson, signed The Civil Rights Act into law in 1964. In 1965 the Voting Rights Act passed.
After the Civil War, three amendments were added to the Constitution. Most famously, the 13th Amendment abolished slavery. The 14th Amendment made formerly enslaved people American citizens. Finally, the 15th Amendment gave all men the right to vote – regardless of race.
However, many states, particularly Southern states, used measures such as poll taxes and literacy tests to keep their African American constituents disenfranchised. Segregation was also enforced during this time through “Jim Crow” laws. White supremacist groups like the Ku Klux Klan also formed during this time.
The U.S. Congress failed to pass any civil rights acts for decades after Reconstruction. It wasn’t until 1957 that Congress established a civil rights section of the Justice Department. Also created at the time: A Commision on Civil Rights. Its purpose was to investigate discriminatory conditions. In 1960 Congress provided court-appointed referees to assist African Americans register to vote. Unfortunately, these bills became watered down in order to overcome resistance from Southern legislators.
Upon his election, John F. Kennedy proposed the most comprehensive civil rights legislation at the time in 1963.
Civil Rights Act Passed
After Kennedy’s assassination on November of 1963, new President Lyndon B. Johnson took up the cause of his predecessor. Despite Southern and border state Democrats staging a 75-day filibuster, the Senate voted 73-27 in favor of the bill and Johnson signed it into law on July 2, 1964.
The Civil Rights Act of 1964 banned segregation on the grounds of race, religion, or national origin at all places of public accommodation. This included courthouses, parks, restaurants, theaters, sports arenas, and hotels. Additionally, Title VII of the Civil Rights Act barred race, religious, national origin and gender discrimination by employers and labor unions. It created an Equal Employment Opportunity Commission with the power to file lawsuits on behalf of wronged workers.
Furthermore, the act forbade the use of federal funds for any discriminatory program, authorized the Office of Education – now the Department of Education – to assist with school desegregation, gave extra clout to the Commission on Civil Rights and prohibited the unequal application of voting requirements.
Civil Rights Act and Afterwards
Martin Luther King, Jr. called the Civil Rights Act of 1964 a “second emancipation”.
Later, the Civil Rights Act found itself expanded to include disabled Americans, the elderly and women in collegiate athletics. The Voting Rights Act passed in 1965 prohibited literacy tests and other discriminatory voting practices. Meanwhile, the Fair Housing Act of 1968 banned discrimination in the sale, rental, and financing of property. Finally, the United States had brought an end to legal segregation.
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Info Source: History.com
Photo Source: Wikimedia Commons
