Washington, DC - The Civil Rights Act of 1964 was arguably the most comprehensive civil rights law ever passed in the United States.  It was proposed by President John F. Kennedy in 1963 and passed by his successor, President Lyndon B. Johnson, on July 2, 1964, seven months and 10 days after President Kennedy was assassinated. The law prohibited segregation -- based on race--in schools and public places, and it made employment discrimination illegal.

For more information, the Grateful American Book Prize recommends The Civil Rights Act of 1964: An End to Racial Segregation by Judy L Hasday.