The Civil Rights Act of 1964.
The year was 1964, crisis had stretched itself across the globe, and the United States was in the thick of it. One of the most revered presidents in history had been brutally assassinated just a year earlier, the demand for equal rights was greater than ever before, and to cap it off, America was about to declare war on Vietnam. In attempt to calm part of the storm, President Lyndon Johnson requested and received the most comprehensive civil rights act in history. On July 7, 1964, following one of the longest debates in senate history, Johnson signed the bill into law. This comprehensive US legislation intended to end discrimination based on race, color, religion and national origin. Specifically, the act prohibited discrimination in voting, education, and the use of public facilities. Backed by law, the EEOC now held firm ground in the United States.
Steps had now been taken to ensure legal equality, but equal opportunity and true social equality were only theories and not facts. Thus began the next stage in the battle for civil rights. On September 24th, 1965, President Johnson issued Executive Order 11246, this order requires government contractors to "take affirmative action" to expand job opportunities for minorities. In other words, a form of "racial preference" is used to employ workers, in which a member of the minority is given the advantage. Alongside the order, was the creation of the Office of Federal Compliance in the department of labor to enforce affirmative action. In 1967, the Executive Order was amended to expand opportunities for women, because of their history of under appreciation. Executive Order 11246 is one of the most far-reaching federal programs for expanding equal opportunity. .
Affirmative Action in the Nixon Administration.
In 1969, when Richard Nixon took office, affirmative action was still poorly defined and not widely supported.
