Profile of the Day: Lyndon B. Johnson

Lyndon B. Johnson

Fifty years ago today, President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the Civil Rights Act of 1964 into law in a nationally televised ceremony at the White House. Hundreds of guests were invited to the historic signing, including civil rights leader Martin Luther King, Jr.

During his presidency, President John F. Kennedy fought for a strong civil rights bill to give all Americans equal rights and opportunities. Five days after Kennedy’s assassination, President Johnson urged lawmakers “to eliminate from this Nation every trace of discrimination and oppression that is based upon race or color.”

The Civil Rights Act of 1964 outlawed discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex or national origin. This historic civil rights legislation brought an end to racial segregation in public facilities and schools and forbade discrimination in employment. After years of boycotts and protests, the passage of the Civil Rights Act was a giant step forward in the struggle for equality. 

President Lyndon B. Johnson signing the Civil Rights Act of 1964

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