HOW WOMEN GOT INCLUDED THE 1964 CIVIL RIGHTS ACT BY: ADELLE COLLINS

THE CIVIL RIGHTS ACT OF 1964 What is it?  A federal law that made it illegal to have segregation in public arrangement, public facilities, and employment. Who signed it?  It was signed by President Lyndon Johnson on July 2, 1964  This act was said to be one of the most extensive civil rights legislation since Reconstruction.

BELOW: PRESIDENT LYNDON JOHNSON SIGNING THE CIVIL RIGHTS ACT OF 1964.

CONTEXT Congress passed Public Law  Provision that refused unjust treatment based on one’s sex or race in hiring, promoting, and firing instances.  The word “sex” was added to the civil rights act at the last minute  Representative Howard Smith added the word

CONTEXT CONTD. Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964: Equal Employment opportunity:  Federal law that forbids employers from distinguish employees based on one’s sex, race, color, national origin, and religion.  Created the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) to enforce the law

CONTEXT CONTD. Section 703 of Title Vii:  Employer practices  Made it illegal for an employer to:  Failure to hire or dismiss someone, or to distinguish one’s pay, conditions, or privileges based on their race, color, religion, sex, or national origin.  Limit or classify someone for employment in a way that would deprive them of employment opportunities or affect their status as an employee, based on race, color, religion, sex, or national origin.

CONTEXT CONTD. What is the EEOC:  A federal agency that manages civil rights laws that have to do with workplace discrimination.  They have the the power to look into charges of discrimination against employers  If the EEOC finds that discrimination has occurred, they try to determine the charge

SOME CONFLICT Some women’s groups were against including sex discrimination in the legislation They were afraid of losing labor laws protecting women in poverty. Some people questioned if Representative Smith added women’s rights to the bill thinking/hoping it would fail. They wondered if Smith thought his amendment would be rejected Southerners were against laws that were for integration, because they thought the federal government was interfering with states’ rights.

WHO SUPPORTED THIS CHANGE? Howard Smith added the word “sex”  Supported by Alice Paul and the National Women’s Party  The National Woman's Party had been pushing for the Equal Rights Amendment since it was introduced to Congress in  Martha Griffiths pushed to keep “sex” in the bill afterward Above: Howard Smith

RESULTS OF TITLE VII Martha Griffiths supported keeping women’s rights in the bill.  The House voted twice on the amendment  It passed both times with the Civil Rights Act signed, including the prohibition of sex discrimination. Proof of who voted for the addition of the word "sex” from Martha Griffiths  She stated that most of the votes that were for it came from Southerners and Republicans. Although Title VII exists today and sex discrimination is illegal in employment, women still receive less pay than men and are discriminated in the work place

TITLE VII: SECTION 703 STATES THAT…