Which U.S. law signed in 1964 outlawed discrimination in public accommodations and employment?

The Civil Rights Act of 1964 outlawed discrimination in public accommodations and employment.

President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the law on July 2, 1964, after a long congressional struggle. It prohibited discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, or national origin in important areas of American public life. Title II addressed public accommodations, while Title VII created protections against employment discrimination and established the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.

The bill was strongly supported by civil-rights organizations and faced a lengthy filibuster by opponents in the Senate. Senate Majority Leader Mike Mansfield and Senator Hubert Humphrey helped guide it through Congress, while Senator Everett Dirksen played an important role in securing Republican support.

The act did not solve every form of racial inequality, especially voting barriers and housing segregation. Nevertheless, it became one of the movement’s most consequential federal achievements and provided legal tools for challenging discrimination beyond the South.