jul 2, 1964 - The Civil Rights Act of 1964

Description:

The Civil Rights Act of 1964 is the most famous of all civil rights legislation.


Relying on the 14th and 15th Amendments as well as the Commerce Clause in Article 1 Section 8 of the US Constitution, the act encompassed voting rights, public accommodations, desegregation of public facilities, limits on discrimination within federally funded programs, employment discrimination, and authorized higher court review of district court referrals to state courts.

It also reauthorized and expanded the US Commission of Civil Rights.

While the act did not resolve many problems of racial discrimination, it was a significant step in federal responsibility and power in the enforcement of equal rights.

The act came about as a result of the constant and rising pressure created by a decade of actions and events, including the bus boycotts, business boycotts, lunch counter sit-ins, the Freedom Rides, demonstrations and marches.

These actions highlighted the unceasing organizational, political and individual - and often violent - resistance to integration, economic opportunity and voting rights.

After the nationally televised police violence in Birmingham, Alabama, in April 1963, which featured the use of cattle prods, fire hoses, clubs and biting dogs on demonstrators, the pressure on President Kennedy to act increased significantly.

Demonstrations continued across the country, increasing the pressure; in the next three months there were approximately 1,000 demonstration in 209 different cities and towns.

The assassination of President Kennedy on 22 November placed Lyndon B Johnson in the White House.

While Johnson had opposed all civil rights legislation during his years in the House of Representatives and the Senate prior to 1957, he proved to be an important and powerful ally, who used the full force of his office to push the Civil Rights Act through.

More modifications and legislative maneuvering took place, including an almost three-month delay in the Senate de t a filibuster by a bloc of 19 southern senators.

However, on 2 July 1964, following pressure from civil rights leaders and organizations, lobbying groups and church congregations (some of whose members sat in legislators' offices day after day, demonstrating a refusal to accept another delay or dismissal), exhaustive work by Senator Dirksen, and President Johnson's full engagement and political hardball, the bill passes in the Senate by a vote of 73 to 27, and in the House by 289 to 126.

Votes in both chambers were divided by region rather by political party, with more than 90% of souther legislators voting against and 90% of norther legislators voting for.

President Johnson signed the bill the same day, surrounded by a audience that included Martin Luther King, Jr.

The Civil Rights Act of 1964 addressed critical areas addressed critical areas of civil rights, including voting rights, public accommodations, school desegregation, federally funded projects, and enforcement.

More specifically, it required privately owned and operated businesses that served the public to serve customers and clients regardless of race, colour or national origin.

The caveat was that the businesses had to be engaged in interstate commerce.

Essentially, unless a restaurant, hotel, stadium or concert hall served only customers from within the state and purchased all its supplied from within its state, it was conducting interstate commerce and was therefore subject to the law.

Thus, all businesses, with the exception of undefined private clubs, fell under the jurisdiction of the law.

Under Title III of the act, states and localities were compelled to stop discrimination in their own facilities as well.

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