CIVILRIGHTSSTATEMENT.docVIP

CIVIL RIGHTS STATEMENT Lyndon B. Johnson Shortly after Vice-President Lyndon B. Johnson succeeded John F. Kennedy as President, he moved forthrightly to help eradicate a persistent evil in American life: racial discrimination. Mr. Johnson urged the Congress to enact a law, proposed by President Kennedy in 1963, that would insure the voting rights of all Americans; make it a punishable offense to deny anyone entry into hotels, restaurants and other public places solely on the basis of race or religion; speed progress toward racially integrated schools; and provide a means of assuring equal job opportunities for all. After lengthy debate in the Congress, the bill was passed in l964 by overwhelming majorities in both Houses. The law is the most sweeping civil rights measure ever enacted and constitutes a landmark in American legislative history. Before signing it, President Johnson broadcast a statement to the American people on July 2, 1964. ...My Fellow Americans f I am about to sign into law the Civil Rights Act of l964. I want to take this occasion to talk to you about what that law means to every American. One hundred and eighty-eight years ago this week a smal1 band of valiant men began a long struggle for freedom. They pledged their lives, their fortunes, and their sacred honor not only to found a nation, but to forge an ideal of freedom--not only for political independence, but for personal liberty--not only to eliminate foreign rule, but to establish the rule of justice in the affairs of men. That struggle was a turning point in our history. Today in far corners of distant continents, the ideals of those American patriots still shape the struggles of men who hunger for freedom. This is a proud triumph. Yet those who founded our country knew that freedom would be secure only if each generation fought to renew and enlarge its meaning. From the Minutemen at Concord to the soldiers in Viet Nam, each generation has been equal to that trust. Americans of every race