Our Time Is Now: Power, Purpose, and the Fight for a Fair America

by Stacey Abrams

The Civil Rights Act of 1957, weakened by the actions of then Senate majority leader Lyndon B. Johnson, held that the federal government has the right to enforce laws prohibiting the denial of voting rights and establishes the Civil Rights Division of the Justice Department. Three years later, the Civil Rights Act of 1960 restored key portions of the 1957 proposal, including empowering the federal government to enforce court orders regarding desegregation and other civil rights legislation, along with the ability to file civil rights lawsuits on behalf of the public. Prior to this provision, an aggrieved black citizen had to personally file, and few had the resources or capacity to seek redress. Among the most famous is the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which banned discrimination based on “race, color, religion, sex, or national origin” in employment practices and public accommodations.