The Civil Rights Act of 1964 is a landmark civil rights and labor law outlawing discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, or national origin. is enacted. The Act also prohibits unequal application of voter registration requirements and racial segregation in schools, employment and public accommodations.
The legislation had been proposed by John F. Kennedy in June 1963, but was opposed by a filibuster in the Senate. President Lyndon Johnson pushed the bill forward following the assassination of Pres. Kennedy in November 1963.
It passed Congress by votes of 73-27 in the Senate and 289-126 in the House. Johnson signed the Civil Rights Act into law on July 2, 1964, at the White House.
