On May 6, 1960, President D. Eisenhower signed the Civil Rights Act in an effort to address the discriminatory laws and practices within the segregated south that deprived African Americans the right to register and vote.
The Civil Rights Act of 1960, established federal inspection of local voter registration polls and provided penalties for anyone who obstructed someone’s attempt to register to vote. It was intended to protect African Americans at the polls, who were facing intimidation and terrorization from Caucasians that were trying to prevent them from voting. It served to eliminate certain loopholes created by the Civil Rights Act of 1957.
The passing of the Civil Rights Act was not an easy journey. Many southern politicians were against the bill, which resulted in a historic filibuster that lasted over 125 hours.
The post This day in black history: Civil Rights Act signed into law appeared first on Atlanta Free Speech.
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