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Civil Rights Act of 1964

Civil Rights Act of 1964

The Civil Rights Act of 1964: A Turning Point in American History

The passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 represented a turning point in American history. This landmark piece of legislation ended legal discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, and national origin. It was a significant achievement in the civil rights movement and paved the way for further progress in securing equal rights for all Americans. This article provides an overview of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and its historical significance.

Part I: Background and Overview

1. Historical Context
The Civil Rights Act of 1964 was passed at a time of significant civil unrest in the United States. The civil rights movement was in full swing, with activists across the country demanding an end to legal discrimination and segregation.
2. Key Provisions
The Civil Rights Act of 1964 had a number of key provisions, including:
– Prohibiting discrimination in employment on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, and national origin.
– Prohibiting discrimination in public accommodations, such as hotels and restaurants.
– Prohibiting discrimination in voter registration.
– Establishing the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission to investigate complaints of discrimination in employment.

Part II: The Impact of the Civil Rights Act of 1964

1. Political Impact
The Civil Rights Act of 1964 was a significant political achievement, with President Lyndon B. Johnson signing the legislation into law on July 2, 1964. It represented a major breakthrough in the civil rights movement and signaled a turning point in American history.
2. Social Impact
The Civil Rights Act of 1964 had a profound impact on American society. It helped to end legal discrimination and segregation in the United States, and paved the way for further progress in securing equal rights for all Americans.
3. Legal Impact
The Civil Rights Act of 1964 also had significant legal implications. It gave the federal government a greater role in protecting civil rights and enforcing anti-discrimination laws. It also paved the way for further legal action, including the Voting Rights Act of 1965.

Part III: Legacy and Continued Relevance

1. Legacy of the Civil Rights Act of 1964
The Civil Rights Act of 1964 has had a lasting impact on American society. It helped to establish legal protections against discrimination, and served as a catalyst for further progress in securing equal rights for all Americans.
2. Continued Relevance Today
Despite the progress that has been made in the decades since the Civil Rights Act of 1964, there is still work to be done. Discrimination and inequality continue to exist in many forms, and the fight for civil rights remains ongoing. The Civil Rights Act of 1964 serves as a reminder of the importance of continuing this fight, and of the potential for legislation to effect meaningful change.

Conclusion

The Civil Rights Act of 1964 was a landmark piece of legislation that represented a significant achievement in the civil rights movement. It helped to end legal discrimination and segregation in the United States, and paved the way for further progress in securing equal rights for all Americans. Its legacy continues to be felt today, as the fight for civil rights and equality remains ongoing.

In 1964, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in favor of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, and as a result, any prior discrimination of minorities was ruled to be unconstitutional. However, many view the Civil Rights Act as a culmination of a nation’s arduous journey towards equality, comprised of prejudice, racism, and moral turpitude.

Although slavery is considered by many to be the origin of racism in the United States, many of the political figureheads responsible for the authorship of the Declaration of Independence, as well as the Constitution, were morally and ethically opposed to slavery. Yet, despite the initial permissibility of slavery, the 13th Amendment abolished all slavery within the United States upon its ratification in 1868.

Also passed in 1868 was the Fourteenth Amendment, which guaranteed civil rights to all citizens of the United States. In 1870, further advances in civil rights occurred when the 15th Amendment was passed ensuring all citizens the right to vote regardless of skin color. Until 1964, there have existed three renowned civil rights cases brought before the Supreme Court which have been regarded as the stepping stones towards the ultimate passing of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

In 1857, the Dred Scott case, also known as Scott v. Sanford, was one of the first instances where a person of color retaliated against a perceived lack of civil rights. Dred Scott was a slave who had resided in Missouri, a state in which slavery was permissible at the time. After he had relocated to Illinois, and then Wisconsin, two states that had both abolished slavery at that time, he had considered himself, as well as his family, to be free due to the Missouri Supreme Court mandate passed in 1924 which ruled ‘once free, always free’ in conjunction with a slave being granted freedom. However, upon his return to Missouri, he was ordered to return to slavery.

Scott claimed that his return to slavery violated the freedom that he was awarded as per the Missouri Supreme Court. However, the Federal Supreme Court ruled that due to Scott’s status as a slave, and thus devoid of citizenship, he was to be considered property. Unwilling to violate the Fifth Amendment, which prohibits the Federal Government from removing private property without just cause, the Supreme Court ordered Scott’s return to the household of his former master.

In 1896, in his home state of Louisiana, an African-American named Homer Plessy boarded a train car designated to be for white passengers only. Upon his refusal to exit the car, he was summarily apprehended and brought before the Supreme Court on the grounds of civil disobedience. Although Plessy maintained that the act of prohibiting him from riding on a train car designated for white riders, which was a violation of civil rights granted to him in the Fourteenth Amendment, the Supreme Court Justice hearing the case ruled against Plessy, claiming that Louisiana’s ‘separate, but equal’ policy was not a violation of civil rights, but instead a matter of civic policy devoid of racial implications.

In 1954, Brown v. Board of Education was brought before the Supreme Court. After his daughter was prohibited from attending the school closest to their home due to the fact of segregation of the Kansas school system, Oliver Brown, an African-American, claimed that the prevention of his daughter from going to the school closest to their home was in direct violation of his Fourteenth Amendment rights as a United States citizen. After a review of the case, the Supreme Court ruled in favor of Brown, agreeing that segregation in public school was indeed unconstitutional, and as a result, national segregation was abolished.

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