Which federal law did President Lyndon B. Johnson sign on July 2, 1964, banning segregation in public accommodations?

President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the Civil Rights Act of 1964 on July 2, 1964, banning segregation in public accommodations.

The law prohibited discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, or national origin in places such as hotels, restaurants, theaters, and other facilities connected to interstate commerce. It also addressed employment discrimination and strengthened the federal government’s ability to enforce school desegregation.

The bill passed after a lengthy congressional battle and a Senate filibuster led by opponents of civil-rights legislation. Senator Everett Dirksen helped assemble the votes needed to end the filibuster, and the measure passed the Senate 73–27.

The act was broader than the 1957 and 1960 civil-rights laws, but it did not itself eliminate every form of racial inequality. Voting discrimination required additional federal legislation the following year.