Los Angeles Employment Lawyer

The Civil Rights Act of 1964

The Civil Rights Act of 1964 was a landmark piece of legislation for the United States. It outlawed, to start, racial segregation in schools, public places, and employment. While the bill was conceived to help solely African Americans, it was quickly amended before it was passed to protect women. In addition to outlawing segregation and providing a lot of help to women as well, the bill created the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.

The Civil Rights Act was introduced to the world in a civil rights speech on June 11, 1963 by President John F. Kennedy. In the speech, he asked Congress for legislation that would give “all Americans the right to be served in facilities which are open to the public—hotels, restaurants, theaters, retail stores, and similar establishments” as well as provide greater protection for the right to vote.

A bill was introduced to Congress on June 19th. The bill emulated the Civil Rights Act of 1875 in that it included provisions to ban discrimination in public accommodations and enabled the U.S. Attorney General to join in lawsuits against state governments which operated segregated school systems.

While the bill provided a lot, it did not include a number of provisions that were essential to civil rights leaders. These included protections from police brutality, outlawing discrimination in private employment, and granting the Justice Department the power to initiate desegregation or job discrimination lawsuits.

In order to circumvent limitations that were placed on congressional power by the Equal Protection Clause, the bill was passed under the Commerce Clause. Another reason for passing it under the commerce clause was that the chairpeople of the Senate and House Commerce committees were open to the idea. Because Congress was controlled by the Democratic party which still dominated the south, many of the other committees wouldn’t have let the bill out of committee.

Contact a Los Angeles Employment Lawyer

If you have been a victim of discrimination in the workplace or in hiring, contact Los Angeles employment lawyer Perry Smith at 1-800-356-2529 to discuss your case and to determine any legal options.