Remembering Dr. King - Civil Rights Act of 1964 enacted 50 yrs. ago today

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Martin Luther King, Jr. looks on as President Lyndon Johnson signs the Civil Rights Act of 1964 in the East Room. July 2, 1964.


Dr King's interactions with Presidents Kennedy and Johnson leading up to the Civil Rights Act in 1964, the Voting Rights Act in 1965 and the 1968 Civil Rights Act are well documented, but his first visit to the White House was actually in 1958, when he and other prominent civil rights leaders met with President Dwight Eisenhower.





Following the Brown v. Board decision, Eisenhower vowed “to uphold the constitutional processes in this country” and, in 1957, sent federal troops to Little Rock to do just that. In addition, the Civil Rights Act of 1957, addressing voting rights, was the first such legislation since Reconstruction.

Video: Senator John F. Kennedy – Statement on Civil Rights Legislation, September 1, 1960

President John F. Kennedy’s Executive Order No.10925 on March 6, 1961 mandated “affirmative action to ensure that applicants are employed, and that employees are treated during employment, without regard to their race, creed, color, or national origin.”



MLK meeting with JFK August 28, 1963

Video: Martin Luther King, Jr speaking about his meeting with President John F. Kennedy

Video: President: John F. Kennedy Announces Civil Rights Act on June 11, 1963

President Lyndon B. Johnson met with Civil Rights leaders Martin Luther King, Jr., Whitney Young, and James Farmer in the Oval Office. January 18, 1964.


Lyndon Johnson and Martin Luther King




Video: President Lyndon Johnson – Remarks on Signing the Civil Rights Bill

(Bettmann / CORBIS)

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Last edited Wed Jul 2, 2014, 06:55 PM - Edit history (1)

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[etherealtruth]

5. Great post, great photos

Hey, some of us work all day

The photos pay a great tribute

[bigtree]

6. ha!

[etherealtruth]

7. In all honesty I am surprised there are not a lot of posts about this here

after listening to stories on public radio all day I was sure that I would come home to a wealth here. i did find your posts and they are great!

[Rhiannon12866]

8. K&R! Off to The Greatest Page, where this belongs!

Wonderful photos!

[bigtree]

11. thanks, Rhiannon12866!

Supporters of the civil rights bill in the Senate celebrate the cloture vote on June 10, 1964

[senseandsensibility]

9. k and r

and may I say that many white people helped to enact the civil rights law. I only point that out to contrast it with the opinion of the "progressives" on this site who think that women's civil rights are their responsibility. Not the way to force change, my friends.

[bigtree]

12. indeed, senseandsensibility

United we stand . . .

[Rosa Luxemburg]

10. Thanks for posting this

[bigtree]

13. you're welcome, Rosa Luxemburg

Video: Remarks by Former President Lyndon Johnson at a Civil Rights Symposium, December 12, 1972
This is the last speech given by the Former President before his death on January 22, 1973.

[G_j]

14. fantastic post!

thank you!

[bigtree]

15. thanks, G_j!

Senators from both parties savor victory after a vote for cloture ended a 75-day filibuster against the Civil Rights Act on June 10, 1964. Seated are Sens. Everett Dirksen, left, and Hubert Humphrey. Standing, from left, are Sens. Kenneth Keating, Jacob Javits, Leverett Saltonstall, John Pastore, Warren Magnuson, Hugh Scott and Phil Hart. (UPI-Telephoto photo 1964)

[G_j]

16. June 10, 1964

I get afraid that all this history will be forgotten.

[AverageJoe90]

17. Thank you, Doctor King.

And thanks to those Congressmen who chose to do the right thing, as well.