History glossary
Civil Rights Act of 1964
the national law banning major forms of discrimination in public services and employment.
- Category
- Civil rights
- Region
- United States
- Date range
- 1954–1968
What it means
Signed on 2 July 1964, this law prohibited discrimination in covered businesses serving the public and in employment, and strengthened federal action against racial exclusion. The separate Civil Rights Act of 1968 included fair housing protections.
