On July 2, 1964, President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the Civil Rights Act of 1964 into law in a televised ceremony. The law outlawed segregation in public accommodations such as hotels, restaurants, and theaters. It also prohibited employment discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, or national origin. Passage required a long legislative struggle, including a major filibuster in the Senate. The act gave the federal government new enforcement powers and created the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. It stands as one of the most important civil-rights laws in U.S. history and reshaped everyday life across the country.
