jul 2, 1964 - Civil Rights Act Signed

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The Civil Rights bill was struggling in Congress when President Kennedy was assassinated in November 1963
His successor, Lyndon Johnson, used the shock and horror of Kennedy’s death - along with every other method he could think of - to persuade and bully members of Congress to support the bill without amendments
It was still a close thing, as Dixiecrats managed a 54 day filibuster attempt, but Johnson had enough support from both Democrats and Republicans, on 2nd July 1964, the Civil Rights Act was signed

The passing of the Civil Rights Act was very significant and a huge achievement, as it ended legal segregation
However, the act didn’t mean the end of discrimination, as it was very difficult to enforce laws, especially in the deep south
Many Southerners were angered by the extent of the ac while many AAs felt that it did not go far enough

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