1. The 1964 Civil Rights Act

3. Dealy Plaza, Dallas, Texas
12.30 p.m

6. AIR FORCE 1
22nd November 1963

12. The mood of the country after JFK’s death was used by President Johnson to pass the Civil Rights Act.

14. How did Johnson do it?
He milked the emotion felt after the death of JFK.
He said “No memorial could more eloquently honour President Kennedy’s memory that the passage of his Civil Rights Bill for which he fought so long.”

15. How did Johnson do it?
He was a persuader. He used his experience as a Senator to get the Bill through Congress.
He used a mixture of argument and sweet talk.

16. How did Johnson do it?
He persuaded many Republicans in Congress to vote for the Bill.
This was essential as he knew that many Southern Democrats would not vote for the Bill.

17. How did Johnson do it?
Johnson managed to get all the living ex-Presidents (Truman, Eisenhower and Herbert Hoover) to support the Bill.

18. Did the South try to stop the Bill?
Southern filibusters tried to stop the Bill.
However, LBJ had persuaded enough Republicans to vote for the Bill.
In the Senate, the vote was in favour of the Bill.

20. President Johnson signs the 1964 Civil Rights Act

21. What did the Act do?

22. This ended totally legal segregation of any facility.
What did the Act do?
This ended totally legal
segregation of any facility.

23. Gave the Federal Govt. more power to stop discrimination.
What did the Act do?
Gave the Federal Govt. more
power to stop discrimination.

24. What did the Act do? The Attorney General could take to court any
state government
which discriminated
against blacks.
Further empowered the
Federal Government.

25. Equal Employments opps.
What did the Act do?
It was now illegal for
a business to
discriminate on
the basis of race.
Equal Employments opps.

26. Right to vote regardless
What did the Act do?
Right to vote regardless
of income.

27. How significant was the Act?
The Federal Government was given what it needed to end legal segregation.
It did little though to help Black people vote.
It did little to improve race relations.
Some Blacks believed the act had not gone far enough – they still lived in poverty.
However, it was the biggest move ever towards equality.

28. There were two major issue that remained unsolved.

29. Voting Rights & Poverty