The Civil Rights Act of 1964 was a landmark legislation in the United States that outlawed segregation in the US schools and public places. First conceived to help African Americans, the bill was amended prior to passage to protect women in courts, and explicitly included white people for the first time. It also started the Equal Opportunity Employment Commission.

In order to circumvent limitations on the federal use of the Equal Protection Clause handed down by the Civil Rights Cases, the law was passed under the Commerce Clause. It prohibited discrimination in public facilities, in government, and in employment, invalidating the Jim Crow Laws in the southern US. It became illegal to compel segregation of the races in schools, housing, or hiring.