Civil Rights Act of 1964

Quick Facts: Who was Civil Rights Act of 1964?

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Civil Rights Act of 1964

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Landmark U.S. law outlawing discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, and national origin.

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Origins & Early Life

The Civil Rights Act of 1964 (Pub. 241, enacted July 2, 1964) is a landmark civil rights and labor law in the United States that outlaws discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, and national origin. It prohibits unequal application of voter registration requirements, racial segregation in schools and public accommodations, and employment discrimination. The act is considered one of the most significant legislative achievements in American history. Initially, powers given to enforce the act were weak, but these were supplemented during later years.

Career & Major Achievements

Congress asserted its authority to legislate under several different parts of the United States Constitution, principally its enumerated power to regulate interstate commerce under the Commerce Clause of Article I, Section 8, its duty to guarantee all citizens equal protection of the laws under the 14th Amendment, and its duty to protect voting rights under the 15th Amendment. The legislation was proposed by President John F. Kennedy in June 1963, but it was opposed by filibuster in the Senate. After Kennedy was assassinated on November 22, 1963, President Lyndon B. Johnson pushed the bill forward. The United States House of Representatives passed the bill on February 10, 1964, and after a 72-day filibuster, it passed the United States Senate on June 19, 1964. The final vote was 290–130 in the House of Representatives and 73–27 in the Senate.

Enduring Legacy & Impact

After the House agreed to a subsequent Senate amendment, the Civil Rights Act of 1964 was signed into law by President Johnson at the White House on July 2, 1964. In the 1883 landmark Civil Rights Cases, the United States Supreme Court had ruled that Congress did not have the power to prohibit discrimination in the private sector, thus stripping the Civil Rights Act of 1875 of much of its ability to protect civil rights. In the late 19th and early 20th century, the legal justification for voiding the Civil Rights Act of 1875 was part of a larger trend by the United States Supreme Court majorities to invalidate most government regulations of the private sector, except when dealing with laws designed to protect traditional public morality. In the 1930s, during the New Deal, the majority of the Supreme Court justices gradually shifted their legal theory to allow for greater government regulation of the private sector under the Commerce Clause, thus paving the way for the federal government to enact civil rights laws prohibiting both public and private sector discrimination on the basis of the commerce clause. Influenced in part by the "Black Cabinet" advisors and the March on Washington Movement, just before the U.S. entered World War II, President Franklin Roosevelt issued Executive Order 8802, the first federal anti-discrimination order, and established the Fair Employment Practices Committee.

Chronological Milestones & Life Events

1. 1875: 1875 Milestone — In the late 19th and early 20th century, the legal justification for voiding the Civil Rights Act of 1875 was part of a larger trend by the United States Supreme Court majorities to invalidate most government regulations of the private sector, except when dealing with laws designed to protect traditional public morality.
2. 1883: 1883 Milestone — In the 1883 landmark Civil Rights Cases, the United States Supreme Court had ruled that Congress did not have the power to prohibit discrimination in the private sector, thus stripping the Civil Rights Act of 1875 of much of its ability to protect civil rights.
3. 1963: 1963 Milestone — Kennedy in June 1963, but it was opposed by filibuster in the Senate.
4. 1964: 1964 Milestone — 241, enacted July 2, 1964) is a landmark civil rights and labor law in the United States that outlaws discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, and national origin.

Historical Fact-Check Quiz: Civil Rights Act of 1964

True or False: “The Civil Rights Act of 1964 was the first federal law to prohibit discrimination in both public and private sectors nationwide.”

Answer (FALSE ❌): While groundbreaking, earlier acts like the Civil Rights Act of 1875 attempted this, though its power was later curtailed by Supreme Court rulings.

Contemporary Figures & Related Historical Timelines

• Abedi Pele — Historical peer (Born in 1964) (1964): Legendary Ghanaian footballer, celebrated for his attacking prowess and leadership.
• Adam Yauch — Historical peer (Born in 1964) (1964): Founding member of Beastie Boys; influential rapper, filmmaker, and Tibetan activist.
• Abd el-Krim — Historical peer (Died in 1963) (1963): Moroccan revolutionary leader who spearheaded the revolt against French and Spanish Protectorates.
• Abdul Ghani Baradar — Historical peer (Born in 1963) (1963): Afghan politician and religious leader; co-founder of the Taliban.
• A. S. Neill — Historical peer (Born in 1883) (1883): Scottish progressive educator, founder of Summerhill, championing self-governance.
• Alan Brooke, 1st Viscount Alanbrooke — Historical peer (Born in 1883) (1883): British Field Marshal and Chief of the Imperial General Staff during WWII.
• Albert I of Belgium — Historical peer (Born in 1875) (1875): King of the Belgians, known as the Knight King for his role in WWI.
• Albert Schweitzer — Historical peer (Born in 1875) (1875): German polymath renowned for theology, music, and 'Reverence for Life'

Frequently Asked Questions about Civil Rights Act of 1964