On June 19th, 1964, after a 75-day filibuster, the Civil Rights Act of 1964 was approved.
A filibuster is when a member of Congress makes a long speech to stop the progress of the legislature in doing its business, such as passing a bill. When someone has the floor in Congress, they can talk for as long as they want to. Can you imagine talking non-stop for 75 days?
The Civil Rights Act of 1964 ended segregation in public places and banned discrimination in employment. Segregation means that people of different races, religions, or sexes could be separated and treated differently, such as having separate schools or bathrooms for black people and white people or saying that women can’t vote but men can.
Thanks to the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the government started to guarantee equal rights to all Americans. Learn more about civil rights in our US History in Context database or Scholastic Go! or check out some of these amazing items:
The Passing of the Civil Rights Act of 1964
U. S. History: Disc 4, From 1909-Present: A New World Power
Sourcebook and Index: Documents that Shaped the American Nation
