Rep. Jackson's Statement on the Civil Rights Act Anniversary
Media Contact: R. Elizabeth Bratton, Director of Communications
Rep. Jonathan L. Jackson's Statement on 60th Anniversary of the Civil Rights Act of 1964
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today marks 60 years since the Civil Rights Act was signed into law.
This Act is often considered one of the most important pieces of legislation in American history, alongside the 1965 Voting Rights Act.
Signed into law on July 2, 1964, the Civil Rights Act outlawed discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, or national origin in many areas of life. Yet today, our civil liberties could not be more at risk.
Title 1 guaranteed everyone equal voting rights, however in several states there is an active effort to suppress the minority vote. There is still widespread discrimination in employment and housing. Businesses owned by people of color are still being denied equal access to markets, financing, and capital. Diversity, Equity and Inclusion programs are being dismantled around the country.
The Civil Rights Act transformed immigration and tore apart Jim Crow, which not only changed the landscape for African Americans, it also changed the arc for women and other people of color in a profound way.
But now Jim Crow is rearing its ugly head. The pendulum is swinging in the opposite direction. The struggle for equality and fair treatment could not be more real today, 60 years later. In short, there is still more that needs to be done. I am issuing a call to action. We must honor the essence of the Civil Rights Act and continue to work together to ensure that fundamental rights and dignity are extended to all.