The US Civil Rights Act of 1964

Segregation restricted schools, restaurants, transport, and voting in the American South, while housing and employment discrimination extended elsewhere. Black organizations, churches, students, and unions used litigation, boycotts, and demonstrations. Brown v. Board of Education, the Montgomery bus boycott, and Freedom Rides expanded the movement. Images of repression in Birmingham and the March on Washington brought demands for jobs and freedom before national audiences and increased pressure for federal legislation.

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Kennedy proposed a bill, and Johnson pursued it after succeeding him. Committee obstruction and a Senate filibuster had to be overcome through support across party lines. The Civil Rights Act was signed in July 1964. It prohibited several forms of discrimination in public accommodations and employment and addressed federally funded activities. An Equal Employment Opportunity Commission handled part of enforcement. Restaurants, hotels, hiring, and education acquired new enforceable standards.

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Implementation depended on courts, agencies, and continuing organization. Resistance persisted. The Voting Rights Act of 1965 addressed electoral barriers, and later housing measures and rulings expanded protection. Movements also debated poverty, war, and economic distribution. The 1964 law gave inhabitants new grounds for challenging discrimination and required employers and authorities to change procedures. Demands advanced in demonstrations became continuing work in administrative enforcement and litigation across the country.

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