Civil Rights Act of 1964

The Civil Rights Act of 1964 (CRA '64) in the United States was landmark legislation. The original purpose of the Bill was to protect black men from job (and other) discrimination, but at the last minute in an attempt to kill the bill, it was expanded to include protection for women. As a result it formed a political impetus for feminism.

Major Features of the Civil Rights Act of 1964

Title I

Barred unequal application of voter registration requirements, but did not abolish literacy tests sometimes used to disqualify African Americans and poor white voters.

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Title II

Outlawed discrimination in hotels, motels, restaurants, theaters, and all other public accommodations engaged in interstate commerce; exempted private clubs without defining "private," thereby allowing a loophole..

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Title III

Encouraged the desegregation of public schools and authorized the U. S. Attorney General to file suits to force desegregation, but did not authorize busing as a means to overcome segregation based on residence.

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Title IV

Authorized but did not require withdrawal of federal funds from programs which practiced discriminations.

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Title VII

Title VII outlaws discrimination in employment in any business on the basis of race, national origin, sex, or religion. Title VII also prohibits retaliation against employees who oppose such unlawful discrimination. The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) enforces Title VII. The EEOC investigates, mediates, and sometimes files lawsuits on behalf of employees. Title VII also provides that an individual can bring a private lawsuit. Importantly, an individual must file a complaint of discrimination with the EEOC within 180 days of learning of the discrimination or the individual may lose the right to file a lawsuit. Title VII only applies to employers with fifteen or more employees. In the late 1970s courts began holding that sexual harassment is prohibited under the Act. Title VII has been supplemented with legislation prohibiting pregnancy, age, and disability discrimination. Currently there is no federal law prohibiting discrimination based on sexual orientation, however Congress continues to consider the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA) which would prohibit sexual orientation employment discrimination.

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