Civil Rights Act of 1968

Civil Rights Act of 1968
Shorttitle	Civil Rights Act of 1968
Longtitle	An Act to prescribe penalties for certain acts of violence or intimidation, and for other purposes
Enactedby	91st United States Congress
Citations	Public Law 90-284
Signeddate	April 11, 1968
Signedby	Lyndon B. Johnson

Contents

Civil Rights Act of 1968 was a landmark legislation in the United States that aimed to end discrimination and segregation in the country. The Act was signed into law by Lyndon B. Johnson, building upon the earlier Civil Rights Act of 1964 and Voting Rights Act of 1965, which were championed by Martin Luther King Jr., Rosa Parks, and other prominent Civil Rights Movement leaders, including Thurgood Marshall, Malcolm X, and Fannie Lou Hamer. The Civil Rights Act of 1968 was a response to the growing unrest and protests across the country, including the Watts riots, Detroit riot of 1967, and the Poor People's Campaign, led by Jesse Jackson and Ralph Abernathy. The Act also drew inspiration from international human rights instruments, such as the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, adopted by the United Nations General Assembly in 1948.

Introduction

The Civil Rights Act of 1968 was a comprehensive legislation that addressed various aspects of discrimination and segregation in the United States. The Act was the result of a long and tumultuous process, involving Congressional hearings, lobbying efforts by civil rights organizations, such as the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC), and Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC), and protests led by Martin Luther King Jr., Stokely Carmichael, and H. Rap Brown. The Act built upon the earlier Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibited discrimination in public accommodations, employment, and education, and the Voting Rights Act of 1965, which protected the voting rights of African Americans, as upheld by the Supreme Court of the United States in South Carolina v. Katzenbach. The Civil Rights Act of 1968 also drew inspiration from the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, where Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his famous I Have a Dream speech, and the Selma to Montgomery marches, led by Martin Luther King Jr., Rosa Parks, and John Lewis.

The Civil Rights Act of 1968 was passed in response to the growing unrest and protests across the United States, including the Watts riots, Detroit riot of 1967, and the Poor People's Campaign, led by Jesse Jackson and Ralph Abernathy. The Act was also a response to the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr., which sparked widespread riots and protests across the country, including in Washington, D.C., Chicago, and Los Angeles. The Congressional Black Caucus, established in 1971, played a crucial role in advocating for the rights of African Americans, as did the National Urban League, led by Whitney Young, and the Congress of Racial Equality (CORE), led by James Farmer. The Act was also influenced by international events, such as the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, adopted by the United Nations General Assembly in 1948, and the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination, adopted by the United Nations General Assembly in 1965.

The Civil Rights Act of 1968 contained several key provisions, including the Fair Housing Act, which prohibited discrimination in the sale, rental, and financing of housing, as enforced by the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), led by Robert Weaver. The Act also prohibited discrimination in employment and education, and provided protections for voting rights, as upheld by the Supreme Court of the United States in Katzenbach v. Morgan. The Act also established the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), led by Clifford Alexander Jr., to enforce anti-discrimination laws, and the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP), to ensure compliance with affirmative action requirements. The Act also drew inspiration from the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, where Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his famous I Have a Dream speech, and the Selma to Montgomery marches, led by Martin Luther King Jr., Rosa Parks, and John Lewis.

The Civil Rights Act of 1968 was passed by the 91st United States Congress and signed into law by Lyndon B. Johnson on April 11, 1968. The Act was enforced by various federal agencies, including the Department of Justice, led by Ramsey Clark, the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), led by Robert Weaver, and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), led by Clifford Alexander Jr.. The Act also relied on private enforcement, allowing individuals to bring lawsuits against discriminatory practices, as seen in cases such as Jones v. Alfred H. Mayer Co. and Trafficante v. Metropolitan Life Insurance Co.. The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC), and American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) played important roles in advocating for the enforcement of the Act, as did the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, led by Roy Wilkins.

The Civil Rights Act of 1968 had a significant impact on the United States, helping to reduce discrimination and segregation in housing, employment, and education. The Act also helped to increase voting rights protections, as seen in the Voting Rights Act of 1965 and the National Voter Registration Act of 1993. The Act has been cited as an inspiration by civil rights leaders, including Jesse Jackson, Al Sharpton, and Barack Obama, and has been recognized as a key milestone in the Civil Rights Movement, along with the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom and the Selma to Montgomery marches. The Act has also been influential internationally, with countries such as Canada, Australia, and South Africa adopting similar anti-discrimination laws, such as the Canadian Human Rights Act and the South African Equality Act.

The Civil Rights Act of 1968 has undergone several amendments and reforms since its passage, including the Fair Housing Amendments Act of 1988, which expanded protections for people with disabilities, and the Civil Rights Act of 1991, which provided additional protections for employment discrimination, as upheld by the Supreme Court of the United States in Griggs v. Duke Power Co.. The Act has also been influenced by other legislation, such as the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 and the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act of 2009, which have helped to expand civil rights protections in the United States. The Congressional Black Caucus and other civil rights organizations continue to advocate for further reforms and amendments to the Act, to address ongoing issues of discrimination and inequality in the United States, as seen in the Black Lives Matter movement and the Women's March.

Category:United States federal civil rights legislation