WASHINGTON, DC - Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) Chair Marcia L. Fudge released the following statement on the 50^th Anniversary of the Civil Rights Act which was signed on July 2, 1964:

“The Civil Rights Act of 1964 was one of the most significant pieces of legislation in our history, laying the foundation to end legal discrimination in America. While the Constitution established that all men were created equal, the Civil Rights Act codified that all men and women should receive equal treatment under the law.

“During the Civil Rights Movement, Americans of all races and ages committed their time and their lives to ensuring that the promise of America would be available to every citizen, rather than to a select few. This law ensured that generations of Americans, previously marginalized and oppressed, would be fully acknowledged as citizens of this great nation.

“However, while we reflect on the Civil Rights Act today, we must also remember that equal treatment under the law and equal opportunity is still denied to many Americans. Increasing segregation in public education, growing income inequality, and disparities within our criminal justice system persist in our society, disproportionality affecting individuals and communities of color.  And while the Civil Rights Act paved the way for passage of the Voting Rights Act of 1965, those protections have been severely compromised.

“While our union is far from perfect, we must not allow the progress made over the past 50 years to be eroded. As Members of the House of Representatives and the Senate united to do what was best for our nation in 1964, we must do so once again. Congress must pass the Voting Rights Amendment Act of 2014 and fulfill the promise of a truly fair and equal society that all who worked to pass the Civil Rights Act of 1964 hoped it would one day help us achieve.”

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