Civil Rights Act Victory
President Johnson signed this historic law on July 2, 1964, prohibiting discrimination in public accommodations after years of struggle. Restaurants, hotels, theaters and stores could no longer refuse service based on race. The law banned employment discrimination and created the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. Southern senators had filibustered for 60 days trying to block it. This landmark legislation finally dismantled legal segregation in American daily life, though enforcement remained challenging.
