Civil Rights Act of 1964

July 2, 1964Washington, D.C.high importance

Landmark legislation outlawing discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, or national origin.

The Civil Rights Act of 1964 is one of the most significant laws in American history. It outlawed discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, or national origin. It ended unequal voter registration requirements, racial segregation in schools, workplaces, and public facilities. President Lyndon B. Johnson signed it into law on July 2, 1964.

Sources

https://www.history.com/topics/black-history/civil-rights-act

Key Takeaways

Outlawed racial discrimination nationwide

Ended legal segregation in public places

Established the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission

Key Figures

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

January 15, 1929 – April 4, 1968

His activism built pressure for the act

John Lewis

February 21, 1940 – July 17, 2020

Organized sit-ins and Freedom Rides

Thurgood Marshall

July 2, 1908 – January 24, 1993

His legal victories laid groundwork

Rosa Parks

February 4, 1913 – October 24, 2005

Lived to see this landmark law that the movement she helped ignite made possible