July 2, 1964
U.S. President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the Civil Rights Act of 1964 into law, barring discrimination in public accommodations (restaurants, stores, theatres, etc.), employment, and voting. The law had survived an 83-day filibuster in the U.S. Senate by 21 members from southern states lead by Richard Russell (D-GA) who said “We will resist to the bitter end any measure or any movement which would have a tendency to bring about social equality and intermingling and amalgamation of the races in our (Southern) states.”
