Civil Rights Act of 1964

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

Signed into law by President Lyndon B. Johnson on July 2, 1964. Often called the most significant civil rights legislation since Reconstruction.

What the Law Did

The Civil Rights Act of 1964 outlawed discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, or national origin. Its major provisions are organized into “Titles”:

• Title II banned discrimination in public accommodations such as hotels, restaurants, and theaters.
• Title VI prohibited discrimination in any program receiving federal funds.
• Title VII prohibited employment discrimination and created the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC).

It also strengthened voting rights protections and authorized the federal government to enforce school desegregation.

Background

The Act grew out of the civil rights movement, including the 1963 March on Washington and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” speech. President Kennedy proposed the legislation in 1963; after his assassination, President Johnson made its passage a national priority. It cleared a lengthy Senate filibuster before becoming law.

Constitutional Basis

Congress grounded the Act primarily in the Commerce Clause (Article I, Section 8) and the Fourteenth Amendment’s Equal Protection Clause. The Supreme Court upheld it in Heart of Atlanta Motel v. United States (1964).

Source

See the full text and history at the U.S. National Archives.