Committee on Civil Rights and Equity — Shall assist the Union in assuring that members are not discriminated against on the basis of race, color, national origin, ancestry, creed, sex, age, handicap, marital status, sexual orientation or veteran status. Advocates fair and equitable representation for all members, promotes Civil Rights in the union so that all cultures have a voice and feel welcome and respected.
On July 2, 1964, President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the landmark Civil Rights Act. Fifty years later, we still have much work to do as a nation with regard to race relations, but we also have much to celebrate.
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In honor of the 50th Anniversary of the 1964 Civil Rights Act, we share this with you:
On July 2, 1964, President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the landmark Civil Rights Act. Fifty years later, we still have much work to do as a nation with regard to race relations, but we also have much to celebrate.
The Act did not resolve all the problems of discrimination. As we’ve seen over the last 50 years, Congress, the courts and state legislatures have both enhanced and undermined aspects of the Act in a wide variety of ways. However, it opened the door to further progress by lessening racial restrictions on the use of public facilities, providing more job opportunities, strengthening voting laws, and limiting federal funding of discriminatory aid programs. Below is a list of the major features of the Act.
TITLE I—VOTING RIGHTS Barred unequal application of voter registration requirements, but did not abolish literacy tests sometimes used to disqualify African Americans and poor white voters. TITLE II—PUBLIC ACCOMMODATIONS 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. TITLE III—DESEGREGATION OF PUBLIC FACILITIES Permitted Justice Department suits to secure desegregation of certain public facilities. TITLE IV—DESEGREGATION OF PUBLIC EDUCATION 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. TITLE V—CIVIL RIGHTS COMMISSION Addressed procedures for the Commission, broadened its duties, and extended its life through January 1968. TITLE VI—NONDISCRIMINATION IN FEDERALLY ASSISTED PROGRAMS Authorized but did not require withdrawal of federal funds from programs which practiced discrimination. TITLE VII—EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY Outlawed discrimination in employment in any business exceeding twenty five people and creates an Equal Employment Opportunities Commission to review complaints, although it lacked meaningful enforcement powers. TITLE VIII—REGISTRATION AND VOTING STATISTICS Directed the Census Bureau to collect registration and voting statistics based on race, color and national origin but provided that individuals could not be compelled to disclose such information. TITLE IX—INTERVENTION AND REMOVAL OF CASES Made reviewable in high federal courts the action of federal district courts in remanding a civil rights case to state court and authorized the Attorney General to intervene in certain private suits. TITLE X—COMMUNITY RELATIONS SERVICE Created the Service to aid communities in resolving disputes relating to discriminatory practices based on race, color, or national origin. TITLE XI—MISCELLANEOUS Gives a defendant accused of certain categories of criminal contempt in a matter arising under title II, III, IV, V, VI, or VII of the Act the right to a jury trial.
SOURCE: Congress and the Nation, 1945-64 (Congressional Quarterly Service, 1965): 1638-41.