--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: On July 2, 1964, President Johnson signed…" description: "\"On July 2, 1964, President Johnson signed into law the Civil Rights Act. Its enactment, following the longest continuous debate in the history of the U..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4fb/thomas-perez-18754_act_on-july-2-1964-president-johnson-signed_1308723.jpg" --- # On July 2, 1964, President Johnson signed into law the… ![“On July 2, 1964, President Johnson signed into law the Civil Rights Act. Its enactment, following the longest continuous debate in the history of the U.S. Senate, enshrined into law the basic principle upon which our country was founded - that all people are created equal.” quote by Thomas Perez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4fb/thomas-perez-18754_act_on-july-2-1964-president-johnson-signed_1308723.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4fb/thomas-perez-18754_act_on-july-2-1964-president-johnson-signed_1308723.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4fb/thomas-perez-18754_act_on-july-2-1964-president-johnson-signed_1308723.jpg) > “On July 2, 1964, President Johnson signed into law the Civil Rights Act. Its enactment, following the longest continuous debate in the history of the U.S. Senate, enshrined into law the basic principle upon which our country was founded - that all people are created equal.” [Thomas Perez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-perez/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The law legally affirmed equality, ending prolonged Senate debate and advancing civil rights. **In simple terms:** Law confirmed equality for all. Key Takeaway Support and protect equal rights. Themes equality justice civil rights legislation Mood determined reflective Type historical political When to use this quote - Advocacy work - policy making - community organizing - educational programs Key Concepts Constitutional principle social reform political process Questions to Reflect On - How can we ensure laws translate into lived equality? - What barriers remain to full civil rights? A Different Perspective Implementation faced resistance and uneven enforcement. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Civil Right](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/civil-right/) [Civil rights](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/civil-rights/) [Civil rights act](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/civil-rights-act/) [Country](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/country/) [Debate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/debate/) [History](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/history/) [July](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/july/) [Law](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/law/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [President](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/president/) [President johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/president-johnson/) [Principle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/principle/) [Rights](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rights/) [Senate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/senate/) ## Related quotes > [“The House adjourned without voting on the bill, but the following year a similar bill—mandating equality in hotels and restaurants open to the public,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-w-brands-2/the-house-adjourned-without-voting-on-the-bill-but-the-following-year/) [H.W. Brands](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-w-brands-2/) > [This bill attempts to make sure that President Clinton is not allowed to do by Executive Order what Congress has declined to enact in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jesse-helms/this-bill-attempts-to-make-sure-that-president-clinton-is-not-allowed/) [Jesse Helms](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jesse-helms/) > [The Civil Rights Act of 1964 laid the foundation for the Voting Rights Act of 1965, but it also addressed nearly every other aspect…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aberjhani/the-civil-rights-act-of-1964-laid-the-foundation-for-the-voting/) [Aberjhani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aberjhani/) > [The Court today completes the process of converting Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 from a guarantee that race or sex…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antonin-scalia/the-court-today-completes-the-process-of-converting-title-vii-of-the/) [Antonin Scalia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/antonin-scalia/) > [I favor the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and it must be enforced at gunpoint if necessary.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/i-favor-the-civil-rights-act-of-1964-and-it-must-be-enforced-at/) [Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) > [“The revolution had come too late for him. He was in his midforties when the Civil Rights Act was signed and close to fifty…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isabel-wilkerson/the-revolution-had-come-too-late-for-him-he-was-in-his-midforties/) [Isabel Wilkerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isabel-wilkerson/) > [A hastily written "Civil Rights Act" was rushed through Congress. President Andrew Johnson immediately vetoed it, noting that the right to confer citizenship rested…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eustace-mullins/a-hastily-written-civil-rights-act-was-rushed-through-congress/) [Eustace Mullins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eustace-mullins/) > [The passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 represented precisely such a hope - that America had learned from its past and acted…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aberjhani/the-passage-of-the-civil-rights-act-of-1964-represented-precisely/) [Aberjhani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aberjhani/) > [We've talked more about civil rights after the Civil Rights Act of 1964 than we talked about it before 1964.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clarence-thomas/we-ve-talked-more-about-civil-rights-after-the-civil-rights-act-of/) [Clarence Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clarence-thomas/) > [I would have to say all of the civil rights acts, because there were three, and even, say, the Immigration Act, which I think…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lynda-bird-johnson-robb/i-would-have-to-say-all-of-the-civil-rights-acts-because-there-were/) Lynda Bird Johnson Robb > [“These and other measures, however, seemed relatively inconsequential in 1965 compared to a Big Four that passed by the end of the session: federal…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-t-patterson/these-and-other-measures-however-seemed-relatively-inconsequential-in/) [James T. Patterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-t-patterson/) > [“In 1866, Congress enforced the abolition of slavery by passing a Civil Rights Act, prohibiting actions that it deemed perpetuated the characteristics of slavery.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-rothstein/in-1866-congress-enforced-the-abolition-of-slavery-by-passing-a-civil/) [Richard Rothstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-rothstein/) > [The Civil Rights Act of 1964 was vigorously and vociferously opposed by the Southern states. President Lyndon B. Johnson signed it into law nonetheless.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-rollins/the-civil-rights-act-of-1964-was-vigorously-and-vociferously-opposed/) [Henry Rollins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-rollins/) > [This Civil Rights Act is a challenge to all of us to go to work in our communities and our states, in our homes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lyndon-b-johnson/this-civil-rights-act-is-a-challenge-to-all-of-us-to-go-to-work-in/) [Lyndon B. Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lyndon-b-johnson/) > [It is difficult to overstate the importance of the Civil Rights Act.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bobby-scott/it-is-difficult-to-overstate-the-importance-of-the-civil-rights-act/) [Bobby Scott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bobby-scott/) ## More by Thomas Perez > [Protecting the rights of service members was an important part of my work as Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-perez/protecting-the-rights-of-service-members-was-an-important-part-of-my/) [Thomas Perez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-perez/) > [Every day should be Labor Day. We have to fight for the basic proposition that apprenticeship is a wonderful ticket to the middle class.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-perez/every-day-should-be-labor-day-we-have-to-fight-for-the-basic/) [Thomas Perez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-perez/) > [It was a privilege to serve as the assistant attorney general for civil rights, a role that allowed me to enforce the Civil Rights…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-perez/it-was-a-privilege-to-serve-as-the-assistant-attorney-general-for/) [Thomas Perez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-perez/) > [Community colleges provide higher education where people live, helping to build strong ladders of opportunity that allow people to secure a foothold in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-perez/community-colleges-provide-higher-education-where-people-live-helping/) [Thomas Perez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-perez/) > [Donald Trump is an embarrassment to our nation. 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I've also been able to coach all three…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-perez/involvement-in-my-kids-sports-teams-is-something-i-have-made-time-for/) [Thomas Perez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-perez/) > [Every Democrat, like every American, should support a woman's right to make her own choices about her body and her health... At a time…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-perez/every-democrat-like-every-american-should-support-a-woman-s-right-to/) [Thomas Perez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-perez/) > [I've had jobs that allow me the flexibility to achieve work-life balance, to be there when one of the kids sinks a jump shot…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-perez/i-ve-had-jobs-that-allow-me-the-flexibility-to-achieve-work-life/) [Thomas Perez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-perez/) > [President Obama has made a minimum wage increase a focal point of his economic agenda.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-perez/president-obama-has-made-a-minimum-wage-increase-a-focal-point-of-his/) [Thomas Perez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-perez/) > [I continue to believe that America is better positioned than any country on the planet to lead in the 21st century, but we do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-perez/i-continue-to-believe-that-america-is-better-positioned-than-any/) [Thomas Perez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-perez/) > [Donald Trump and Eddie Gillespie and the Republicans in the Commonwealth of Virginia are the No. 1 impediment to Medicaid expansion. Voters understand that,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-perez/donald-trump-and-eddie-gillespie-and-the-republicans-in-the/) [Thomas Perez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-perez/) > [I firmly believe that the Democrats' message of inclusion and opportunity resonates everywhere. When we talk about health care as a right and not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-perez/i-firmly-believe-that-the-democrats-message-of-inclusion-and/) [Thomas Perez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-perez/) [Explore all 34 Thomas Perez quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-perez/) ## More Act quotes > [I once told someone I could act. They totally bought it. 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If I tried it out and thought I'd be OK,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/travis-fimmel/people-take-years-learning-how-to-act-it-s-a-skill-not-just-a-job-if/) [Travis Fimmel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/travis-fimmel/) > [Self-discipline is an act of cultivation. It require you to connect today's actions to tomorrow's results. There's a season for sowing a season for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-ryan-blair/self-discipline-is-an-act-of-cultivation-it-require-you-to-connect/) [Gary Ryan Blair](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-ryan-blair/) > [“Don’t turn your face away. Once you’ve seen, you can no longer act like you don’t know. Open your eyes to the truth. 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