Attorney General Merrick B. Garland delivered remarks at the Justice Department's celebration of the 60th anniversary of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 on July 9, 2024. The event marked a significant milestone in the history of civil rights legislation in the United States.
"Sixty-one years ago, our country not only watched but finally truly saw, the generations-long struggle by Black Americans to claim the rights guaranteed them by the Constitution," Garland stated.
Garland recounted key moments leading up to the passage of the Civil Rights Act, including violent confrontations during desegregation campaigns in Birmingham, Alabama. He highlighted how these events catalyzed Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy and his team to draft a civil rights bill that would later become law on July 2, 1964.
"It would be difficult to overstate the significance of the Civil Rights Act of 1964," Garland noted. The Act outlawed segregation in public accommodations, banned discrimination based on race, religion, color, sex, and national origin in workplaces and schools, and laid groundwork for future voting rights legislation.
Reflecting on current challenges, Garland emphasized that many issues addressed by the Civil Rights Act remain unresolved. "Over half a century has passed, but many of the challenges that necessitated the Civil Rights Act of 1964 are still with us," he said.
Garland detailed various actions taken by the Justice Department over recent years to enforce civil rights protections under the Act. These include participating in school desegregation cases across multiple states and addressing discriminatory practices affecting Black residents in Lowndes County, Alabama.
"We see this most clearly when it comes to voting rights," Garland asserted. He expressed concern over legislative measures making it harder for eligible voters to cast their ballots and an increase in threats against those administering elections.
Garland also addressed broader attacks on civil rights protections and institutions enforcing these laws. "This is not the way our democracy is supposed to work," he declared.
The Attorney General underscored that protecting civil rights has been central to the Justice Department since its founding post-Civil War era when it confronted white supremacist violence against Black Americans exercising their voting rights.
"Since its founding, the Justice Department has been at its best when it stands firmly on the side of protecting civil rights," Garland remarked. He recommitted to this legacy as essential to fulfilling democracy's promise: equal protection under law for all citizens without fear or violence.
Garland concluded by expressing gratitude towards public servants advancing civil rights within various divisions of the Justice Department and introduced Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco for her remarks.
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