Civil Rights Act of 1964
President John F. Kennedy addresses the nation about Civil Rights on June 11, 1963
Before the assassination of John F. Kennedy arose, people were thirsty for change. Lyndon Johnson stepped in as president and made use of his legislative experience to carry fourth equality. on June 11, 1963, JKF pointed out that "The Negro baby born in America today, regardless of the section of the nation in which he is born, has about one-half as much chance of completing high school as a white baby born in the same place on the same day; one third as much chance of competing college; one third as much chance of becoming as professional man; twice as much chance of becoming unemployed about one-seventh as much chance of earning $10,000 a year; a life expectancy which is seven years shorter; and the prospects of earning only half as much".
Lyndon B Johnson signs Civil Rights Act of 1964
By: Charlotte Froehlich
1964
Main Focus:
eliminate segregation of
- race
- religion
- national origin
- gender
July 2, 1964 marked the day when President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the Civil Rights Act of 1964. The official Bill was passed by the House of Representatives on February 10, 1964 which prohibited discrimination pertaining to race, religion, national origin, and gender. Although it did not resolve any problems of discrimination, the 1960's marked a period of intense activity of protecting minor rights by the Federal Government. This act enabled ALL citizens the right to enter public accommodations; such as parks, restaurants, libraries etc. to eliminate the separation of whites vs. minorities (mostly African- Americans).
This process, however, was not easy. To make such a drastic change required a lot of convincing by the members of the House Of Representatives. House opposition bottled up the bill in the House Rules Committee. In the senate, opponents attempted to talk the bill to death in the filibuster. In early 1964, House supporters overcame the Rules Committee obstacle by threatening to send the bill to the floor without committee approval. The senate filibuster was overcome through the floor leadership of Senator Hubert Humphrey of Minnesota, the considerable support of President Lyndon Johnson, and the effort of Senate Minority Everett Dirksen of Illinois, who convinced Republicans to support the bill. The bill was passed and was the start to equality in the 1960's and ensured fair treatment to all citizens.
The Civil Rights Act also attempted to deal with the problem of African Americans being denied the vote in the Deep South. The legislation stated that uniform standards must prevail for establishing the right to vote. Schooling to sixth grade constituted legal proof of literacy and the attorney general was given power to initiate legal action in any area where he found a pattern of resistance to the law.