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This coming week our Nation honors the anniversary of the signing of
the Civil Rights Act of 1968, which banned the use of racial discrimination
when an individual purchases a home or other forms of real estate. This
progressive legislation followed in the footsteps of the Civil Rights Act
of 1964, our nation’s most comprehensive civil rights bill to date that
prohibits the use of racial discrimination in voting, education and the
use of public facilities.
The Civil Rights Act became law April 11,1968. However, this Act, also
known as the Housing Rights Act of 1968, did not become law without a struggle.
A conservative legislative branch at the time utilized procedural legislative
tactics that delayed the passage of the bill for several years. However,
pressure mounted to pass the law after the assassination of civil rights
pioneer Martin Luther King. The day after Dr. King’s funeral, Congress
passed the Act overwhelmingly. President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the Civil
Rights Act of 1968 into law the following day.
It’s hard to imagine that less than 50 years ago, a person could be
legally barred from the purchasing of a home based on the color of his
or her skin. It’s also hard to believe that 50 years ago, black and white
children were not allowed to sit in the classroom together. They were not
allowed to ride the same school bus, or drink from the same water fountain.
Fortunately these dismal aspects are a scar from our past. But discrimination
based on the color of one’s skin still prevails. In honor of the Civil
Rights Act of 1968, I urge my fellow citizens as you go about your daily
lives to remain cognizant of the fact that all men and women are created
equal. Our country was founded upon this very principle, and as citizens
of this great nation it is important to carry on this legacy. |
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