The Civil Rights Act of 1968
April 11th is a memorable anniversary for those interested in civil rights. On April 11, 1968 (43 years ago today) President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the Civil Rights Act of 1968. Title VIII of the Civil Rights Act of 1968 is commonly known as the Fair Housing Act and was passed as a follow-up to the Civil Rights Act of 1964. The Civil Rights Act of 1866 prohibited discrimination in housing, but there were no federal enforcement provisions. The 1968 act prohibited discrimination concerning the sale, rental, and financing of housing based on race, religion, national origin, and as of 1974, gender; as of 1988, the act protects the disabled and families with children. It also provided protection for civil rights workers.
This legislation followed upon earlier milestones in civil rights legislation passed on Johnson's watch. Johnson overcame southern resistance and convinced Congress to pass the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which outlawed most forms of racial segregation. John F. Kennedy originally proposed the bill in June 1963 and called the congressional leaders to the White House in late October 1963 to line up the necessary votes in the House for passage. After Kennedy's death, it was Johnson who broke a filibuster by Southern Democrats begun in March 1964 and pushed the bill through the Senate. Johnson signed the revised and stronger bill into law on July 2, 1964. In 1965, he achieved passage of a second civil rights bill, the Voting Rights Act, which outlawed discrimination in voting, thus allowing millions of southern blacks to vote for the first time.
This legislation followed upon earlier milestones in civil rights legislation passed on Johnson's watch. Johnson overcame southern resistance and convinced Congress to pass the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which outlawed most forms of racial segregation. John F. Kennedy originally proposed the bill in June 1963 and called the congressional leaders to the White House in late October 1963 to line up the necessary votes in the House for passage. After Kennedy's death, it was Johnson who broke a filibuster by Southern Democrats begun in March 1964 and pushed the bill through the Senate. Johnson signed the revised and stronger bill into law on July 2, 1964. In 1965, he achieved passage of a second civil rights bill, the Voting Rights Act, which outlawed discrimination in voting, thus allowing millions of southern blacks to vote for the first time.