Legal Highlight: The Civil Rights Act of 1964 (2024)

In the 1960s, Americans who knew only the potential of "equal protection of the laws" expected the president, the Congress, and the courts to fulfill the promise of the 14th Amendment. In response, all three branches of the federal government--as well as the public at large--debated a fundamental constitutional question: Does the Constitution's prohibition of denying equal protection always ban the use of racial, ethnic, or gender criteria in an attempt to bring social justice and social benefits?

In June 1963, President John Kennedy asked Congress for a comprehensive civil rights bill, induced by massive resistance to desegregation and the murder of Medgar Evers. After Kennedy's assassination in November, President Lyndon Johnson pressed hard, with the support of Roy Wilkins and Clarence Mitchell, to secure the bill's passage the following year. In 1964, Congress passed Public Law 88-352 (78 Stat. 241). The Civil Rights Act of 1964 prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, sex or national origin. Provisions of this civil rights act forbade discrimination on the basis of sex, as well as, race in hiring, promoting, and firing. The Act prohibited discrimination in public accommodations and federally funded programs. It also strengthened the enforcement of voting rights and the desegregation of schools.

The Civil Rights Act of 1964 is the nation's benchmark civil rights legislation, and it continues to resonate in America. Passage of the Act ended the application of "Jim Crow" laws, which had been upheld by the Supreme Court in the 1896 case Plessy v. Ferguson, in which the Court held that racial segregation purported to be "separate but equal" was constitutional. The Civil Rights Act was eventually expanded by Congress to strengthen enforcement of these fundamental civil rights.

Legal Highlight: The Civil Rights Act of 1964 (2024)

FAQs

Legal Highlight: The Civil Rights Act of 1964? ›

241). The Civil Rights Act of 1964 prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, sex or national origin. Provisions of this civil rights act forbade discrimination on the basis of sex, as well as, race in hiring, promoting, and firing.

What were the highlights of the Civil Rights Act of 1964? ›

The act outlawed segregation in businesses such as theaters, restaurants, and hotels. It banned discriminatory practices in employment and ended segregation in public places such as swimming pools, libraries, and public schools. Passage of the act was not easy, however.

Is the Civil Rights Act of 1964 a constitutional right? ›

An Act to enforce the constitutional right to vote, to confer jurisdiction upon the district courts of the United States of America to provide injunctive relief against discrimination in public accommodations, to authorize the Attorney General to institute suits to protect constitutional rights in public facilities and ...

What is the Civil Rights Act of 1964 code? ›

Title VI, 42 U.S.C. § 2000d et seq., was enacted as part of the landmark Civil Rights Act of 1964. It prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, and national origin in programs and activities receiving federal financial assistance.

Which of the following is true of the Civil Rights Act of 1964? ›

Final answer: The Civil Rights Act of 1964 outlawed segregation based on race, sex, or national origin, aiming to promote equality and end discriminatory practices. It did not strengthen the Democratic party in the South or limit the federal government's power in enforcing civil rights.

What are some fun facts about the Civil Rights Act of 1964? ›

Other Facts

The act had the longest filibuster in US Senate history, and after the long civil rights struggle, the Senate passed the act 73-27 in July 1964. It became law less than a year after President John F. Kennedy's assassination. More Republicans voted in favor of the Civil Rights Act than Democrats.

Which area was not covered by the Civil Rights Act of 1964? ›

The Civil Rights Act of 1964 prohibited discrimination based on race, religion, color, or national origin in public places, schools, and employment. However, discrimination based on sex was not initially included in the proposed bill, and was only added as an amendment in Title VII in an attempt to prevent its passage.

What clause is the Civil Rights Act of 1964? ›

No person in the United States shall, on the ground of race, color, or national origin, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance.

Which statement best describes the Civil Rights Act of 1964? ›

The Civil Rights Act of 1964 banned racial discrimination in the workplace and in public facilities. This statement is accurate because the Civil Rights Act of 1964 included Title VII, which prohibited employment discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, or national origin.

Did the Civil Rights Act of 1964 end segregation? ›

Signed into law, on July 2, 1964, the Civil Rights Act of 1964 outlawed segregation in businesses such as theaters, restaurants, and hotels. It banned discriminatory practices in employment and ended segregation in public places such as swimming pools, libraries, and public schools.

What to do when your civil rights are violated? ›

If you believe your civil rights, or someone else's, have been violated, submit a report using our online form. If you or someone else is in immediate danger, please call 911 or local police. If you are reporting misconduct by law enforcement or believe you have experienced a hate crime, please contact the FBI.

What are the 10 civil rights? ›

Examples of civil rights include the right to vote, the right to a fair trial, the right to government services, the right to a public education, the right to gainful employment, the right to housing, the right to use public facilities, freedom of religion.

Which of the following employers are covered under the Civil Rights Act of 1964? ›

The FEHA applies to public and private employers, labor organizations, apprentice training programs, employment agencies, and licensing boards. An employer can be one or more individuals, partnerships, corporations or companies.

What are the key features of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 quizlet? ›

What were the key provisions of the Civil Rights Act of 1964? outlawed discrimination in employment based on race, color, national origin, religion, and sex, created the EEOC to investigate discrimination, prohibited segregation in public accommodations and encouraged integration in education.

Why was 1964 important? ›

In myriad ways, 1964 was the year when Americans faced choices: between the liberalism of Lyndon Johnson or Barry Goldwater's grassroots conservatism, between support or opposition to the civil rights movement, between an embrace of the emerging counterculture or a defense of traditional values.

What did the Civil Rights Act of 1965 do? ›

This act was signed into law on August 6, 1965, by President Lyndon Johnson. It outlawed the discriminatory voting practices adopted in many southern states after the Civil War, including literacy tests as a prerequisite to voting.

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