Who signed the Civil Rights Act of 1964?
Quick answer
President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the Civil Rights Act of 1964 on July 2, 1964, at the White House. The landmark law banned discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex or national origin in public places, schools and employment. Martin Luther King Jr. was among those present at the signing.
From Kennedy to Johnson
President John F. Kennedy proposed a civil rights bill in June 1963, after protests in Birmingham, Alabama, drew national attention. After Kennedy’s assassination in November 1963, Johnson pushed the bill through Congress, partly as a tribute to Kennedy.
Opponents in the Senate staged a filibuster lasting about 60 working days, one of the longest in history. It ended when senators voted for cloture on June 10, 1964.
What the law did
| Title | What it covered |
|---|---|
| Title II | Banned segregation in hotels, restaurants, theaters and other public places |
| Title IV | Supported desegregation of public schools |
| Title VI | Barred discrimination in programs receiving federal money |
| Title VII | Banned job discrimination and created the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission |
The word “sex” was added to Title VII during debate, making it a major law for women’s rights in the workplace too.
The civil rights movement
The law followed years of protest and sacrifice:
- 1955–56: The Montgomery Bus Boycott; see who refused to give up her bus seat
- 1960: Student sit-ins at segregated lunch counters
- 1963: The March on Washington and King’s “I Have a Dream” speech
What came next
| Law | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| Voting Rights Act | 1965 | Outlawed literacy tests and other barriers to Black voting |
| Fair Housing Act | 1968 | Banned discrimination in housing |
Johnson used 75 pens to sign the 1964 act, handing them out as souvenirs. For voting today, see how to vote in the US.
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