Current:Home > MarketsCelebrating July 2, America's other Independence Day -Prime Money Path
Celebrating July 2, America's other Independence Day
View
Date:2025-04-15 23:10:58
With Thursday's Supreme Court ruling striking down affirmative action in college admissions, it has been a landmark week. Commentary now from historian Mark Updegrove, president of the LBJ Foundation in Austin, about a similarly momentous day in American history:
Fifty-nine years ago today, legal apartheid in America came to an abrupt end. President Lyndon Johnson addressed the nation from the East Room of the White House:
"I am about to sign into law the Civil Rights Act of 1964 …. Let us close the springs of racial poison."
Afterward, ours was a changed nation, prohibiting discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, and national origin. The back of Jim Crow, with its false promise of "separate but equal" public accommodations, was broken, as America fulfilled its most sacred ideal: "All men are created equal."
Since then, the Civil Rights Act has become as fundamental to our national identity as any of our founding documents, deeply rooted in the fabric of a nation that strives to be "more perfect" and to move ever forward.
In a deeply-divided America, where faith in government has ebbed, and affirmative action is under siege, it's worth reflecting on the fruition of the Civil Rights Act as a snapshot of our country at its best ...
A time when Martin Luther King and an army of non-violent warriors put their bodies on the line to expose the worst of bigotry and racial tyranny ...
When a bipartisan Congress – Democrats and Republicans alike – joined together to overcome a bloc of obstructionist Southern Democrats who staged the longest filibuster in Senate history, and force passage of the bill ...
And when a President put the weight of his office behind racial justice, dismissing adverse political consequences by responding, "What the hell's the presidency for?"
Why did Johnson choose to sign the Civil Rights Act on July 2, instead of doing so symbolically on July 4, as Americans celebrated Independence Day? He wanted to sign the bill into law as soon as possible, which he did just hours after it was passed.
And that separate date makes sense. The signing of the Civil Rights Act deserved its own day. Because for many marginalized Americans, July 2 was Independence Day, a day when every citizen became equal under the law.
And that's something we should all celebrate.
For more info:
- LBJ Foundation
- LBJ Presidential Library
- CBS News coverage: The Long March For Civil Rights
Story produced by Robert Marston. Editor: Karen Brenner.
See also:
- Civil Rights Act: A proud memory for W.H. aide ("CBS Evening News")
- 50 years after Civil Rights Act, Americans see progress on race
- Voices of today's civil rights movement
- What is white backlash and how is it still affecting America today?
- CBS News coverage: The long march for civil rights
- In:
- Lyndon Johnson
- Civil Rights
veryGood! (6629)
Related
- 'As foretold in the prophecy': Elon Musk and internet react as Tesla stock hits $420 all
- Texas Tech says Pop Isaacs 'remains in good standing' despite lawsuit alleging sexual assault
- 24 nifty tips to make 2024 even brighter
- Ashli Babbitt's family files $30 million lawsuit over Jan. 6 shooting death
- Working Well: When holidays present rude customers, taking breaks and the high road preserve peace
- Texas Tech says Pop Isaacs 'remains in good standing' despite lawsuit alleging sexual assault
- Volunteers work to bring pet care to rural areas with veterinary shortages
- What can Americans expect for the economy in 2024?
- Biden administration makes final diplomatic push for stability across a turbulent Mideast
- Track star, convicted killer, now parolee. A timeline of Oscar Pistorius’s life
Ranking
- Juan Soto praise of Mets' future a tough sight for Yankees, but World Series goal remains
- Bangladesh’s main opposition party starts a 48-hour general strike ahead of Sunday’s election
- What are the benefits of black tea? Caffeine content, more explained.
- 5 people are trapped in a cave in Slovenia after heavy rainfall causes water levels to rise
- NFL Week 15 picks straight up and against spread: Bills, Lions put No. 1 seed hopes on line
- Lions' Sam LaPorta sets record for most receptions by rookie tight end
- NBA reinstates Golden State Warriors star Draymond Green from indefinite suspension
- Take Over Waystar RoyCo with Our Succession Gift Guide Picks
Recommendation
Chuck Scarborough signs off: Hoda Kotb, Al Roker tribute legendary New York anchor
A transgender candidate in Ohio was disqualified from the state ballot for omitting her former name
Longtime New Mexico state Sen. Garcia dies at age 87; champion of children, families, history
Fact checking Netflix's 'Society of the Snow' plane disaster with director J.A. Bayona
What do we know about the mysterious drones reported flying over New Jersey?
Gypsy Rose Blanchard Reveals the Lowest Moment She Experienced With Her Mother
Erdogan names candidates for March election. Former minister to challenge opposition Istanbul mayor
5 people are trapped in a cave in Slovenia after heavy rainfall causes water levels to rise