Was the Civil Rights Act a success?

Asked by: Prof. Jovani Durgan MD  |  Last update: January 27, 2026
Score: 4.2/5 (5 votes)

Yes, the Civil Rights Act of 1964 was largely successful as a landmark achievement that dismantled legal segregation (Jim Crow), provided equal access to public spaces and education, and banned employment discrimination, significantly advancing Black Americans' rights and opportunities, though its success is debated regarding the extent of socioeconomic change and lingering effects of discrimination.

How was the Civil Rights Act successful?

The Civil Rights Act of 1964 hastened the end of legal Jim Crow. It secured African Americans equal access to restaurants, transportation, and other public facilities. It enabled blacks, women, and other minorities to break down barriers in the workplace.

Why did the Civil Rights Act fail?

The Supreme Court declared the law unconstitutional in 1883. In a consolidated case, known as the Civil Rights Cases, the court found that the Fourteenth Amendment to the Constitution granted Congress the right to regulate the behavior of states, not individuals. The decision foreshadowed the 1896 Plessy v.

Has the civil rights movement been successful?

In action, the Civil Rights Act dismantled many policies of the Jim Crow era that had codified segregation and discrimination against Black Americans and marked a triumph for leaders and organizers of the Civil Rights Movement.

What did the Civil Rights Act accomplish?

The Civil Rights Act of 1964 is labor law legislation that outlawed discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, or national origin.

How Successful Was The Civil Rights Movement? - Learn About Libertarianism

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What were three successes of the civil rights movement?

Following the Civil War, three constitutional amendments were passed, including the 13th Amendment (1865) that ended slavery; the 14th Amendment (1869) that gave black people citizenship, adding their total for Congressional apportionment; and the 15th Amendment (1870) that gave black males the right to vote (only ...

What did the Civil Rights Act of 1964 fail to address?

But it did not include a number of provisions civil rights leaders deemed essential, including protection against police brutality, ending discrimination in private employment, and granting the Justice Department power to initiate desegregation or job discrimination lawsuits.

Why was the Civil Rights Act of 1957 ineffective?

The new law was badly watered down, however, to meet the criticisms of southern Democrats in the Senate. The 1957 law thus had little or no effect on racial segregation in the United States. A 1960 Civil Rights Act, equally watered-down to meet southern requirements, was regarded as equally ineffectual.

What were the major successes of the civil rights movement?

Milestones Of The Civil Rights Movement

  • The Supreme Court Declares Bus Segregation Unconstitutional (1956) ...
  • The 1960 Presidential Election. ...
  • The Desegregation of Interstate Travel (1960) ...
  • The Supreme Court Orders Ole Miss to Integrate (1962) ...
  • The March on Washington (1963) ...
  • The Civil Rights Act of 1964.

How did people feel about the Civil Rights Act of 1964?

A Gallup poll in October 1964 reported that the public approved of the new law by nearly two-to-one (58% to 31%). And in April 1965, Gallup found a whopping 76% in favor of a then-proposed equal rights voting law.

What did the Civil Rights Movement not accomplish?

But racial equality was not achieved by passing civil rights laws. The Civil Rights Movement did not eradicate the narrative of racial difference, and opposition to racial equality remained deeply rooted in the American way of life.

What's the difference between the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and 1965?

The Civil Rights Act of 1964 banned discrimination in public places, schools, and employment, while the Voting Rights Act of 1965 specifically targeted and outlawed discriminatory voting practices like literacy tests and poll taxes, providing federal oversight to ensure Black Americans could exercise their right to vote, which the 1964 Act did not sufficiently address. Essentially, 1964 tackled general segregation and discrimination, while 1965 focused intensely on securing voting rights, building on the 1964 law's limitations. 

What is the biggest problem in civil rights today?

Great inequality and discrimination still exist in our school systems, our criminal justice system, and other aspects of our lives. Research shows, for example, the need to address the employment and housing discrimination that still exist.

What was the greatest accomplishment of the civil rights movement?

The Civil Rights Act of 1964 and Voting Rights Act of 1965 The two most significant pieces of civil rights legislation since Reconstruction were passed within two years of each other. Between the two, these Acts outlawed discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, or national origin.

Was the Civil Rights Act of 1965 successful?

The Voting Rights Act had an immediate impact. By the end of 1965, a quarter of a million new Black voters had been registered, one-third by federal examiners. By the end of 1966, only four out of 13 southern states had fewer than 50 percent of African Americans registered to vote.

Was the Civil Rights Act of 1875 successful?

The Civil Rights Act passed in 1964 contained many of the same provisions that had been enacted, or proposed but deleted, in a similar Civil Rights Act in 1875. On the whole, in its impact and enforcement, the Act of 1875 was a failure.

What were some failures of the Civil Rights Movement?

The process of school integration begun by the Brown decision of 1954 is viewed by some as a failure because many schools remain segregated by race as blacks and whites still, mostly, live in distinct neighborhoods. But no longer does the law assign blacks to separate schools.

Were civil rights protests peaceful?

The success of the movement for African American civil rights across the South in the 1960s has largely been credited to activists who adopted the strategy of nonviolent protest.

How did the Civil Rights Act change America?

This act, signed into law by President Lyndon Johnson on July 2, 1964, prohibited discrimination in public places, provided for the integration of schools and other public facilities, and made employment discrimination illegal. It was the most sweeping civil rights legislation since Reconstruction.

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 ...

Was the civil rights movement a success or failure?

In many respects, the civil rights movement was a great success. Successive, targeted campaigns of non-violent direct action chipped away at the racist power structures that proliferated across the southern United States.

What was the outcome of the Civil Rights Act of 1957?

The new act established the Civil Rights Section of the Justice Department and empowered federal prosecutors to obtain court injunctions against interference with the right to vote.

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.

What was banned by the Civil Rights Act of 1964?

Title VI, 42 U.S.C. § 2000d et seq., was enacted as part of the landmark Civil Rights Act of 1964. It prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, and national origin in programs and activities receiving federal financial assistance.

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.