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NOW Celebrates Civil Rights Signing Day
Released on July 2, 2024

þÿSixty years ago, President Lyndon B. Johnson signed into law the Civil Rights Act of 1964 one of the most
significant pieces of civil rights legislation in history.

þÿHere s a link to President Johnson s historic speech on that occasion. But watching it today, we see even more
clearly how we are now living through the most challenging time for civil rights since the dark days of
segregation.

þÿAs National Urban League President and CEO Marc Morial writes in the State of Black America 2024, The
þÿCivil Rights Act of 1964: 60 Years Later ,

þÿ The Civil Rights Act of 1964 promised a more abiding commitment to freedom, a more constant pursuit of
justice, and a deeper respect for human dignity.

þÿSixty years later, our abiding commitment to freedom is undermined by discriminatory voter ID laws,
gerrymandering, the shuttering of polling places in predominantly minority neighborhoods, limits on early
voting, and reckless purging of voter rolls.

þÿOur pursuit of justice is derailed by persistent racism in policing and sentencing, the dismantling of diversity
and inclusion policies in employment and education, and the lack of access to financial services, housing, and
healthcare.

þÿAnd our respect for human dignity is called into question by an unraveling social safety net, a poverty-level
þÿfederal minimum wage, and other economic policies that uplift the wealthy at the expense of working families.

In his proclamation on the 60th Anniversary of the Civil Rights Act, President Biden said,

þÿ It is still the task of our time to build a democracy where every American is treated with dignity and has an
þÿequal opportunity to follow their dreams. When President Johnson signed the Civil Rights Act, he called the
þÿbill a proud triumph in a long struggle for freedom and equal rights for Black people in America.

þÿPresident Johnson called the Civil Rights Act of 1964 a challenge to all of us to go to work in our communities
þÿand our states, in our homes and in our hearts, to eliminate the last vestiges of injustice in our beloved country.
Today, we know that those vestiges of injustice are far from being on their last legs. NOW members are united
in honoring the promise of the Civil Rights Act by fighting to keep it strong.

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