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Federal Discrimination Laws - The Origins of Anti-Discrimination

Monday, November 16, 2009 by Nancy J. Balles

Federal Discrimination LawsThe Origins of Anti-Discrimination

Anti-discrimination laws have their federal origins in the Civil Rights Act of 1957, which was the first civil rights legislation enacted by Congress and which gave voting rights to African Americans.

The Act was followed by the Civil Right Act of 1964.

The 1964 Act is a fairly spectacular piece of legislation in that it managed to protect several categories of people while remaining neutral as to value judgments about what statuses in those groups may have required protection while granting Congress broad power to enforce its tenants.

Originally conceived to help African Americans overcome the limitations and unfairness of Jim Crow laws in the South and similarly impactful treatment elsewhere, the Civil Rights Act of 1964 established a new paradigm for the United States and equality.

Title I: bars unequal application of voter registration requirements.
Title II: Outlawed discrimination in hotels, motels, restaurants, theaters, and all other public accommodations engaged in interstate commerce
Title III: Prohibited state and municipal governments from denying access to public facilities on grounds of race, religion, gender, or ethnicity.
Title IV: Encouraged the desegregation of public schools and authorized the U.S. Attorney General to file suits to enforce said act.
Title V: Expanded the Civil Rights Commission
Title VI: Prevented discrimination by government agencies that receive federal funding.
Title VII: Prohibits discrimination by covered employers on the basis of race, color, religion, sex or national origin
Title VIII: Requires compilation of voter-registration and voting data
Title IX: Helps move civil rights cases to federal court.
Title X: Established the Community Relations Service, tasked with assisting in community disputes involving claims of discrimination to people of color.

This article was provided by Nancy Balles, discrimination attorney in Walnut Creek, California.

Posted at 12:35 PM

Topic: Discrimination