Knowra Civil Rights Act of 1964 Civil Rights Act of 1964 A United States federal law prohibiting discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, or national origin in public accommodations, employment, and federally funded programs.
Title II of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 : The act’s provision barring racial, religious, and national-origin discrimination in specified public accommodations. It directly targets segregation in hotels, restaurants, theaters, and other covered establishments.
Civil rights movement : A broad movement seeking equal rights and an end to racial segregation and discrimination in the United States. Its campaigns and organizing made federal civil rights legislation a national priority.
Martin Luther King Jr. : A Baptist minister and civil rights leader who advocated nonviolent resistance to racial segregation. His organizing and public advocacy helped build support for comprehensive federal legislation.
Heart of Atlanta Motel, Inc. v. United States : A 1964 Supreme Court case upholding the Civil Rights Act’s ban on racial discrimination in public accommodations. The ruling confirmed Congress could apply Title II to businesses serving interstate travelers.
Voting Rights Act of 1965 : A federal law prohibiting racial discrimination in voting and authorizing federal oversight of election practices. It addressed barriers to voting that the 1964 act did not comprehensively resolve.
Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 : The act’s provision prohibiting employment discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, or national origin. It governs workplace discrimination and established a federal enforcement commission.
John F. Kennedy : The 35th president of the United States, who proposed comprehensive civil rights legislation in 1963. His June 1963 address and legislative proposal set the bill in motion.
Claudette Colvin : A civil rights activist who refused to give up her bus seat in Montgomery, Alabama, in 1955. Her story reflects the grassroots resistance that preceded the act’s passage.
Katzenbach v. McClung : A 1964 Supreme Court case upholding Title II’s application to a restaurant serving local customers. It showed that a restaurant’s connection to interstate commerce could support federal regulation.
Fair Housing Act : A 1968 federal law prohibiting discrimination in the sale, rental, and financing of housing. It extended federal antidiscrimination protections to housing, a domain not covered by the 1964 act.
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