Lyndon B. Johnson and the Civil Rights Act

On June 2, 1964, President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the most sweeping civil rights legislation since the Reconstruction era, after the Civil War. This act made discrimination in public places and workplaces illegal, and required public schools and other public facilities to be integrated. Learn how the act created controversy in Congress and resulted in a dramatic fifty-four-day filibuster, and how it passed through President Johnson's determination to see it succeed. Readers will also see how the Civil Rights Act was not only a huge step forward for civil rights, but also a legacy of President John F. Kennedy.