Presidential Actions & Congressional Votes

This law banned discrimination in public places, employment, and federally funded programs, marking a major step forward for civil rights in America.

• Great Society Programs

• Civil Rights Act of 1964

• 24th Amendment

• Economic Opportunity Act of 1964

This amendment abolished the poll tax in federal elections, removing a significant barrier for poor African Americans and white citizens trying to vote.

• Civil Rights Act of 1964

• Great Society Programs

• Affirmative Action

• 24th Amendment

This executive order, issued by President Truman in 1948, called for the desegregation of the U.S. Armed Forces, leading to the eventual integration of military units.

• 24th Amendment

• Executive Order 9981 (Desegregation of the Armed Forces)

• Affirmative Action

• Economic Opportunity Act of 1964

This program, part of President Lyndon B. Johnson's domestic agenda, aimed to eliminate poverty and racial injustice, and included key civil rights laws like the Civil Rights Act and the Voting Rights Act.

• Voting Rights Act of 1965

• President Lyndon B. Johnson

• Voting Rights Act of 1965 (Federal Oversight)

• Great Society Programs

This law, signed into effect by President Johnson in 1965, aimed to eliminate voter suppression practices such as literacy tests and gave the federal government the authority to oversee elections in states with a history of discrimination.

• Voting Rights Act of 1965

• 24th Amendment

• Civil Rights Act of 1964

• Great Society Programs

This policy, implemented as part of the Great Society, required institutions to take steps to increase diversity in education and employment to rectify the historical exclusion of minority groups.

• President Lyndon B. Johnson

• Affirmative Action

• Voting Rights Act of 1965

• 24th Amendment

This legislation allowed federal government oversight of state voting procedures and led to a significant increase in African American voter registration, particularly in the southern United States.

• 24th Amendment

• Civil Rights Act of 1964

• Voting Rights Act of 1965 (Federal Oversight)

• Great Society Programs

This amendment, ratified in 1964, aimed to protect voting rights and was instrumental in expanding political participation for marginalized groups in the U.S.

• 24th Amendment

• Civil Rights Act of 1964

• Great Society Programs

• President Lyndon B. Johnson

This president played a key role in signing both the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965, solidifying his legacy as a key figure in the fight for civil rights.

• Affirmative Action

• Great Society Programs

• Economic Opportunity Act of 1964

• President Lyndon B. Johnson

This law, passed as part of the Great Society, aimed to reduce poverty by providing job training, educational programs, and loans to communities in need.

• Voting Rights Act of 1965 (Federal Oversight)

• Economic Opportunity Act of 1964

• Affirmative Action

• Civil Rights Act of 1964