Was LBJ against the Civil Rights Act?
Asked by: Jordane Durgan V | Last update: February 1, 2026Score: 4.7/5 (19 votes)
No, Lyndon B. Johnson (LBJ) was not against the Civil Rights Act; he championed its passage, signing the landmark Civil Rights Act of 1964 into law and making it a priority after President Kennedy's assassination to honor his memory and fulfill a moral and constitutional necessity for equal rights, despite his own complex Southern background. He used his considerable political skill as former Senate Majority Leader to overcome opposition, viewing it as essential for American equality, and later signed the Voting Rights Act of 1965.
Did LBJ support the civil rights movement?
As the 36th President of the United States (1963-1969), Lyndon Johnson championed groundbreaking civil rights legislation. Vice President Johnson became President on November 22, 1963, just hours after the assassination of John F. Kennedy.
What did Johnson say about the Civil Rights Act?
The purpose of the law is simple. It does not restrict the freedom of any American, so long as he respects the rights of others. It does not give special treatment to any citizen. It does say the only limit to a man's hope for happiness, and for the future of his chil- dren, shall be his own ability.
How did LBJ save the Civil Rights Act?
Johnson kept the bill moving in the Senate by dislodging President Kennedy's tax-cut bill from the Finance Committee. As vice president, Johnson had advised Kennedy not to introduce civil-rights legislation until the tax cut had cleared Congress.
Why did the Civil Rights Act of 1964 fail?
The biggest failure of the Civil Rights Movement was in the related areas of poverty and economic discrimination. Despite the laws we got passed, there is still widespread discrimination in employment and housing. Businesses owned by people of color are still denied equal access to markets, financing, and capital.
An unlikely civil rights hero
Why did President Johnson veto the Civil Rights Act?
Representative Henry Raymond of New York noted that the legislation was “one of the most important bills ever presented to this House for its action.” President Johnson disagreed with the level of federal intervention implied by the legislation, calling it “another step, or rather a stride, toward centralization and ...
What was banned by the Civil Rights Act of 1968?
The bill was signed into law by President Johnson on April 11, 1968. The law prohibits discrimination in the sale, rental, and financing of dwellings, based on race, color, religion, national origin, and, in later amendments, sex, familial status, and handicap.
Which President did the most for civil rights?
His bill would become the basis for the most-far reaching act of legislation supporting racial equality since Reconstruction. President Lyndon Johnson signed the bill on July 2, 1964. This exhibit summarizes some of the historical events that influenced the passage of this legislation.
Who is responsible for the Civil Rights Act of 1964?
The longest continuous debate in Senate history took place in 1964 over the Civil Rights Act. Following the assassination of President John F. Kennedy, who had proposed the legislation, it was strongly advocated by his successor, Lyndon B. Johnson.
What did President Lyndon B. Johnson's Civil Rights Act of 1968 achieve?
April 11, 1968
The new law granted Native Americans full access to the rights established in the U.S. Constitution. It also included the Fair Housing Act, which barred racial discrimination in the sale, rental or leasing of U.S. housing in the wake of housing protests in Chicago and elsewhere.
Why didn't JFK pass the Civil Rights Act?
Kennedy was reluctant to propose major civil rights legislation during his first term for fear of losing the support of Southern Democrats, many of whom benefited from and supported segregation policies.
What president was responsible for the Civil Rights Act of 1964?
On July 2, 1964, President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Historians generally agree that the passage of this legislation along with the Voting Rights Act of 1965 finally brought to fruition the promises embodied in the 13th, 14th and 15th Amendments.
Why did Johnson veto the Reconstruction Act?
Radical Republicans in Congress did not believe Johnson's plans adequately protected the rights of freedmen and implemented their own Reconstruction measures. Johnson stubbornly resisted all congressional proposals and vetoed every Reconstruction bill Congress passed.
Did Johnson pass the Civil Rights Act of 1964?
Despite Kennedy's assassination in November of 1963, his proposal culminated in the Civil Rights Act of 1964. President Lyndon Johnson signed it into law just a few hours after it was passed by Congress on July 2, 1964. The act outlawed segregation in businesses such as theaters, restaurants, and hotels.
Who passed the Civil Rights Act of 1968?
Martin Luther King Jr., the House of Representatives passed the Fair Housing Act of 1968—also known as the Civil Rights Act of 1968—which prohibited discrimination in the sale or rental of housing nationwide.
Why did Lyndon Johnson's support for the Civil Rights Act of 1964 surprise many Americans?
Due to his background and a political career that didn't focus on securing the promotion of the civil rights of Americans, nobody expected Johnson to continue with Kennedy's legacy of advocating for the rights of African Americans.
Who did not support the Civil Rights Act of 1964?
Strong opposition to the bill also came from Senator Strom Thurmond, who was still a Democrat at the time: "This so-called Civil Rights Proposals [sic], which the President has sent to Capitol Hill for enactment into law, are unconstitutional, unnecessary, unwise and extend beyond the realm of reason.
Who benefited the most from the Civil Rights Act of 1964?
Looking over the last 30 years since the passage of the 1964 Civil Rights Act, women—both black and white—have made the greatest gains in the job market, says UW Sociology Professor Paul Burstein. “This is an historical irony since sex discrimination was added to the bill at virtually the last minute.
Did the Republican Party support the civil rights movement?
A higher percentage of the Republicans and Democrats outside the South supported the Civil Rights Act of 1964, as they had on all previous Civil Rights legislation.
Did Ronald Reagan support civil rights?
Reagan opposed racial segregation. On the federal level, Reagan opposed many civil rights bills throughout the years of his administration.
Which president was forced to take civil rights more seriously?
Sixty years ago, on the heels of the assassination of President John F. Kennedy, then-US President Lyndon B. Johnson signed into law a monumental piece of legislation: the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
Which president pushed the Civil Rights Act of 1964?
On July 2nd, 1964, President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the Civil Rights Act of 1964 into law, marking a historic moment in American history. This month, we celebrate the 60th anniversary of this pivotal legislation that prohibited discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, and national origin.
What was the vote breakdown for the Civil Rights Act of 1968?
House Republicans voted 100 in favor, 84 against, and 3 present. House Democrats voted 150 in favor, 88 against, 3 present, and 4 not voting. After being officially passed by both chambers of the 90th United States Congress, it was signed by the 36th President of the United States, Lyndon B. Johnson on April 11, 1968.
What was made illegal by the Civil Rights Act of 1964?
The Civil Rights Act of 1964 and its amendments are responsible for prohibiting unequal application of voter registration requirements, ending racial segregation for public schools, expanding the Civil Rights Commission, preventing discrimination in federally assisted programs, such as higher education, and employment ...
What happened in 1968 for black people?
An expansion of the landmark Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Civil Rights Act of 1968, popularly known as the Fair Housing Act, prohibits discrimination concerning the sale, rental, or financing of housing based on race, religion, national origin, and sex.