The Civil Rights Act of 1964 Signed into Law

On July 2, 1964, President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the Civil Rights Act of 1964 into law, one of the most landmark pieces of legislation in American history. The Act prohibited discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, or national origin in employment, public accommodations, and federally assisted programs. It outlawed segregation in hotels, restaurants, theaters, and other public places, and established the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) to enforce workplace equality. The legislation was a direct result of years of activism by the Civil Rights Movement, including the March on Washington in 1963 where Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his 'I Have a Dream' speech. The signing of this Act marked a turning point in the struggle for racial equality in the United States.