Which 1964 federal law prohibited segregation in public accommodations and banned employment discrimination?

The Civil Rights Act of 1964 prohibited segregation in public accommodations and banned employment discrimination.

President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the act on July 2, 1964, after a long congressional struggle supported by the civil rights movement. Title II barred discrimination in many hotels, restaurants, theaters, and other public accommodations. Title VI addressed discrimination in federally funded programs, while Title VII prohibited employment discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, or national origin.

The act built on earlier court decisions, presidential actions, and federal civil-rights laws, but it provided substantially stronger enforcement tools. Its passage followed the March on Washington, Freedom Rides, Birmingham campaign, and other movements that exposed racial segregation and violence.

The law is often confused with the Voting Rights Act of 1965, which targeted barriers to voting, or the Fair Housing Act of 1968, which addressed housing discrimination. Together, these laws formed major parts of the federal civil-rights framework.