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Literature Study GuidesCivil Rights Act Of 1964

Civil Rights Act of 1964 | Study Guide

United States Congress

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Course Hero. "Civil Rights Act of 1964 Study Guide." Course Hero. 2 Oct. 2018. Web. 2 June 2023. <https://www.coursehero.com/lit/Civil-Rights-Act-of-1964/>.

In text

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APA

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Course Hero. (2018, October 2). Civil Rights Act of 1964 Study Guide. In Course Hero. Retrieved June 2, 2023, from https://www.coursehero.com/lit/Civil-Rights-Act-of-1964/

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Chicago

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Course Hero. "Civil Rights Act of 1964 Study Guide." October 2, 2018. Accessed June 2, 2023. https://www.coursehero.com/lit/Civil-Rights-Act-of-1964/.

Footnote

Course Hero, "Civil Rights Act of 1964 Study Guide," October 2, 2018, accessed June 2, 2023, https://www.coursehero.com/lit/Civil-Rights-Act-of-1964/.

Overview

Author

United States Congress

Year Ratified

1964

Type

Primary Source

Genre

Law

At a Glance

  • The American civil rights movement put public and political pressure on the United States government to end racial segregation. By 1963 televised images of police roughly handling African American demonstrators during peaceful equal rights protests began to appear regularly on the national news. These images helped garner national sympathy and momentum to pass a law that promised to fulfill America's commitment to equality for all citizens.
  • The Civil Rights Act of 1964 was first proposed in 1963 by President John F. Kennedy (1961–63) and was passed and signed into law at President Lyndon Johnson's (1963–69) urging. Its provisions were aimed at stopping discrimination and ending racial segregation. The act gave the U.S. attorney general additional power to enforce voting rights, and it prohibited discrimination in facilities used by the general public. The act also mandated equal employment opportunity, regardless of race, gender, or national origin.
  • The Civil Rights Act of 1964 was instrumental in fostering greater racial equality in the public sphere. Lawyers could now challenge discrimination in court. The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, created by the act, is still important today for challenging incidents of racial and gender discrimination in hiring, retention, and firing.

Summary

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