Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco delivered remarks at the Justice Department's celebration of the 60th anniversary of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 on July 9, 2024.
Monaco opened her speech by thanking Attorney General Garland and acknowledging the significance of gathering in the Great Hall for this occasion. She recalled a historical moment from June 1963 when Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy advocated for the passage of the Civil Rights Act before the House Judiciary Committee. Kennedy had stated, "In this generation, we have seen an extraordinary change in America – a new surge of idealism in our life — a new and profound insistence on reality in our democratic order. Much has been done. But quite obviously much more must be done — both because the American people are clearly demanding it and because, by any moral standard it is right."
Monaco emphasized that although significant progress has been made since the Civil Rights Act became law, there remains much work to be done to promote equal justice under the law. She noted that discrimination persists and highlighted how technology can exacerbate issues related to hate, intolerance, and bias.
"The architects of 1964 could not have anticipated how misuses of technology — from cybercrime and artificial intelligence to social media algorithms and beyond — could pose a threat to the very rights and opportunities protected by the Civil Rights Act and successor legislation like the Voting Rights Act," Monaco said.
She pointed out that technology can impact various aspects of life, such as housing searches, job applications, medical care, and voting rights. However, she asserted that despite technological advancements, bias remains bias, hate remains hate, and discrimination remains discrimination.
Monaco also discussed ongoing efforts by the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division to combat discrimination enabled by technology. She cited a landmark settlement against Meta for discriminatory use of algorithms in housing ads based on protected characteristics like race and sex. Additionally, she mentioned collaborative efforts with nine federal agencies to uphold principles of fairness as emerging technologies become more prevalent.
The Deputy Attorney General also referenced Assistant Attorney General Clarke's coordination across federal government civil rights enforcement efforts concerning President Biden’s Executive Order on artificial intelligence (AI). Furthermore, she introduced the Justice AI initiative aimed at engaging civil rights advocates to address how AI will impact the Justice Department's mission.
In concluding her remarks, Monaco quoted Kennedy again: "This bill springs from the people’s desire to correct a wrong that has been allowed to exist too long in our society. It comes from the basic sense of justice in the hearts of all Americans." She reiterated that this anniversary reflects the Department at its best—correcting past wrongs while recognizing ongoing responsibilities.
She expressed gratitude towards colleagues, advocates, leaders, and organizers for their commitment to advancing civil rights before inviting Acting Associate Attorney General Ben Mizer to speak.