LBJ AND Civil Rights
LBJ AND Civil Rights
"Until justice is blind to color, until education is unaware of race, until opportunity is unconcerned with the color of men's skins, emancipation will be a proclamation, but not a fact."
"Until justice is blind to color, until education is unaware of race, until opportunity is unconcerned with the color of men's skins, emancipation will be a proclamation, but not a fact."
Lyndon Johnson, remarks at Gettysburg May 30, 1963
By the early 1960s, legal rulings and civil rights protests were breaking down more than a century of policies based on racial discrimination. However, equal access to job opportunities, education, voting, and public places like restaurants, hotels, and movie theaters was still not a reality for everyone in the United States.
By the early 1960s, legal rulings and civil rights protests were breaking down more than a century of policies based on racial discrimination. However, equal access to job opportunities, education, voting, and public places like restaurants, hotels, and movie theaters was still not a reality for everyone in the United States.
THE CIVIL RIGHTS ACT OF 1964
THE CIVIL RIGHTS ACT OF 1964
The Civil Rights Act was signed on July 2, 1964, making it illegal to discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, or national origin when granting access to public places.
The Civil Rights Act was signed on July 2, 1964, making it illegal to discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, or national origin when granting access to public places.
It also advanced school desegregation nationwide, and made employment discrimination based on a person's sex, race, color, religion, or national origin against the law.
It also advanced school desegregation nationwide, and made employment discrimination based on a person's sex, race, color, religion, or national origin against the law.
The voting Rights Act of 1965
The voting Rights Act of 1965
Although the Civil Rights Act of 1964 outlawed many forms of discrimination, more needed to be done to guarantee voting rights. Discriminatory voter registration practices such as literacy tests and poll taxes made it difficult, or sometimes impossible, for African Americans and other people of color to vote.
Although the Civil Rights Act of 1964 outlawed many forms of discrimination, more needed to be done to guarantee voting rights. Discriminatory voter registration practices such as literacy tests and poll taxes made it difficult, or sometimes impossible, for African Americans and other people of color to vote.
Click the document to see a Literacy Test Used in Mississippi
Click the document to see a Literacy Test Used in Mississippi
- Do you think this is a fair voter registration process? Why or why not?
- What other methods were used to prevent African Americans from voting?
- Why might people want to prevent African Americans from voting? Or the reverse—what might happen if African Americans were no longer prevented from voting?
The Voting Rights Act was signed into law on August 6, 1965, eliminating literacy tests and other discriminatory voting policies.
The Voting Rights Act was signed into law on August 6, 1965, eliminating literacy tests and other discriminatory voting policies.
With the new law in place, African Americans began to register to vote by the thousands. In Mississippi the African American voter registration rate went from 6.7% in 1964 to nearly 60% by 1967. By 2010, the United States had nearly 10,500 African American elected officials, including President Barack Obama.
With the new law in place, African Americans began to register to vote by the thousands. In Mississippi the African American voter registration rate went from 6.7% in 1964 to nearly 60% by 1967. By 2010, the United States had nearly 10,500 African American elected officials, including President Barack Obama.
Above, President Johnson signs the Voting Rights Act into law. Below, the desk that the Voting Rights Act was signed on in the LBJ Library museum exhibits.
THE CIVIL RIGHTS ACT OF 1968
THE CIVIL RIGHTS ACT OF 1968
President Johnson meets with civil rights leaders after the death of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
President Johnson signed the Civil Rights Act of 1968 on April 11, 1968, just a week after the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
President Johnson signed the Civil Rights Act of 1968 on April 11, 1968, just a week after the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
This law, also known as the Fair Housing Act, banned discrimination based on race, color, religion, or national origin in the sale, rental, or financing of housing.
This law, also known as the Fair Housing Act, banned discrimination based on race, color, religion, or national origin in the sale, rental, or financing of housing.