The Civil Rights Act is a landmark piece of legislation in the United States that outlawed major forms of discrimination against racial, ethnic, national and religious minorities, and women. It was signed into law by President Lyndon B. Johnson on July 2, 1964.
Think of the Civil Rights Act as a referee in a soccer game. Before its existence, there were no rules preventing players (in this case, institutions or individuals) from committing fouls (discrimination) against others based on their race or gender. The introduction of the referee (the Civil Rights Act) set new rules for fair play and penalized those who broke them.
Segregation: A policy that separates people based on their race or ethnicity.
Jim Crow Laws: State and local laws enforcing racial segregation in the Southern United States.
Voting Rights Act of 1965: A landmark piece of federal legislation in the United States prohibiting racial discrimination in voting.
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