60TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE CIVIL RIGHTS ACT
10781
- - - - - - BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
A PROCLAMATION
Sixty years ago, President Lyndon B. Johnson signed into
law one of the most significant pieces of civil rights
legislation in history -- the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

It

prohibited discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion,
sex, or national origin.

That day, our Nation moved closer to

our North Star, the founding ideal of America:

We are all

created equal and deserve to be treated equally throughout our
lives.

We have never fully lived up to that idea, but we have

never walked away from it either.

On this anniversary, we

promise we will not walk away from it now.
On July 2, 1964, when President Johnson signed the Civil
Rights Act, a crowd gathered behind him.

Among them were some

of the Black leaders and activists who had led the movement that
made it possible:

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., A. Philip

Randolph, Dr. Dorothy Height, and others, who had fought,
protested, and prayed for this moment.

It was the work of

changemakers like them -- from the countless protests, sit-ins,
and marches they organized to the many speeches and sermons they
gave -- and the courageous activism and participation of
everyday Americans that brought the bill to President Johnson's
desk.

It was an answer to President John F. Kennedy's call for

national action to guarantee the equal treatment of every
American regardless of race.
there:

Change only rippled out from

The Civil Rights Act of 1964 also helped set the

foundation for other critical legislation like the Voting Rights
Act of 1965.

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The legacies of those activists and extraordinary Americans
have had a profound impact on me and others of my generation.
It inspired me to become a public defender and then a county
councilman, working to change our State's politics to embrace
the cause of civil rights.

Their efforts made us fundamentally

better as Americans, opening the doors of opportunity wider and
bringing our Nation closer to its promise of liberty, equality,
and justice for all.
Despite this critical step forward, securing our civil
rights remains the unfinished fight of our time.

Our country is

still facing attacks to some of our most fundamental civil
liberties and rights, including the right to vote and have that
vote counted and the right to live free from the threat of
violence, hate, and discrimination.

That is why my

Administration is remaining vigilant -- fighting actively to
protect the rights of every American.

I signed the Electoral

Count Reform Act to protect the will of the people and the
peaceful transfer of power.

I appointed Justice Ketanji Brown

Jackson, the first Black woman to be on the Supreme Court, and
have appointed more Black women to the Federal appellate court
than every other President in history.
We are also working to reverse the shameful legacy of
segregation in our country and creating new opportunities for
every American to thrive.

My Administration is investing more

money than ever in Black families and Black communities.

We are

reconnecting historic business districts and neighborhoods cut
off by old highways, redlining, and decades of discrimination
and disinvestment.

We have invested over $16 billion in

Historically Black Colleges and Universities, which will help
raise the next generation of Black leaders.

At the same time,

we are creating good-paying jobs that people can raise a family

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on; making capital and loans for starting small businesses and
buying homes more accessible; and making health insurance and
prescription drugs more affordable.

I also signed the boldest

policing reform Executive Order in history.

My Administration

is changing our Nation's failed approach to marijuana, which
disproportionately impacts communities of color.

I have used

executive clemency more than any recent President at this point
in my Presidency in pursuit of justice and fairness.

And I

continue to call on the Congress to pass the John Lewis Voting
Rights Advancement Act and the Freedom to Vote Act -- it is the
only way to fully secure the sacred right to vote.
On this anniversary, may we recommit to continuing the work
that the Civil Rights Act began six decades ago -- it is still
the task of our time to build a democracy where every American
is treated with dignity and has an equal opportunity to follow
their dreams.

We must continue to move forward together, stand

with one another, and choose democracy over autocracy and
beloved community over chaos.

We must choose to be believers,

dreamers, and doers.
NOW, THEREFORE, I, JOSEPH R. BIDEN JR., President of the
United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in
me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, do
hereby proclaim July 2, 2024, as the 60th Anniversary of the
Civil Rights Act.

I call upon all Americans to observe this day

with programs, ceremonies, and activities that celebrate this
accomplishment and advance civil rights in our time.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this first
day of July, in the year of our Lord two thousand twenty-four,
and of the Independence of the United States of America the
two hundred and forty-eighth.
[FR Doc. 2024-15027 Filed: 7/5/2024 8:45 am; Publication Date: 7/8/2024]