April 11: Civil Rights Act of 1968
Prayer Idea
Pray that people would choose not to practice discrimination against others based on superficial differences.
History Note
During the 1960s, the United States Congress passed a series of laws designed to give all Americans more equal access to opportunities. The Civil Rights Act of 1964 outlawed discrimination based on “race, color, religion, sex, or national origin” in businesses and other public places such as theaters, restaurants, hotels, swimming pools, and libraries. It also outlawed discrimination in employment.
The 15th amendment to the U.S. Constitution, approved in 1870, guaranteed that “the right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged . . . on account of race, color, or previous condition of servitude.” However, over the next century, some citizens had difficulty exercising their right to vote because of poll taxes, literacy tests, and threats to their safety. The Voting Rights Act of 1965 was intended to enforce the provisions of the 15th amendment.
The week after the death of Martin Luther King Jr., Congress and President Lyndon Johnson approved the Civil Rights Act of 1968. This act included legislation that said that landlords, real estate companies, banks, and insurance companies could not prevent people from purchasing or renting houses or apartments based on “race, color, religion, sex, familial status, or national origin.”
Laws may stop people from doing certain things. But laws cannot change the heart. Let us seek to overcome the attitudes that lead to prejudice and discrimination in our hearts, and let us encourage others to do the same.
When black families attempted to move in to the Sojourner Truth Housing Project in Detroit, Michigan, in 1942, white residents started a violent protest. This sign was placed across the street. Photo by Arthur S. Siegel, courtesy the Library of Congress.
Learn More
This video shows President Lyndon Johnson speaking at the signing of the Civil Rights Act of 1968.
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