Virginia Tech marks 60th anniversary of Civil Rights Act

Lauren Budhu

24 Jul 2024

demonstrators protesting in Washington D.C. in 1963 — Demonstrators march to Lincoln Memorial during the March on Washington in 1963. Photo courtesy of Bob Adelman.

Sixty years ago, President Lyndon B. Johnson signed into law one of the most significant pieces of civil rights legislation in history — the Civil Rights Act of 1964 — enacting key protections to forbid discrimination and promote equality for all.

At Virginia Tech, the Office for Equity and Accessibility (OEA) guides the university’s efforts to maintain working and learning environments free from discrimination, harassment, and retaliation. In addition to responding to reported incidents, the office's civil rights compliance and conflict resolution team offers a range of services, resources, and programs to students, employees, and departments.

“The Civil Rights Act of 1964 is the nation’s benchmark civil rights legislation and sets as the foundation for everything the Office for Equity and Accessibility does,” said Harrison Blythe, director of compliance and conflict resolution.

“In a time of conflict and crisis, when the push for civil rights was met with resistance and violence, changemakers remained steadfast in their commitment to its passage, and we are all the beneficiaries of their dedication. OEA is determined to build on that legacy of leadership, continuing to respond to civil rights matters impacting our campus in a manner that stays true to the language, spirit, and purpose of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.”

Among other transformational provisions, the landmark civil rights legislation prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, or national origin in public places and in employment and declares the integration of schools and public accommodations, according to the Legal Defense Fund. The law emerged from a period of struggle and demand for the fulfillment of the 14th Amendment’s promise of “equal protection of the laws.”

Johnson signed the Civil Rights Act on July 2, 1964, an act made possible by leaders and activists such as Martin Luther King Jr., A. Philip Randolph, Dorothy Height, and others, who had fought and protested. The realization of the Civil Rights Act was ushered in by the countless protests, sit-ins, and marches they organized to the many speeches and sermons they gave — and the courageous activism and participation of everyday Americans that brought the bill to Johnson’s desk.

It was an answer to President John F. Kennedy’s call for national action to guarantee the equal treatment of every American regardless of race. And change only rippled out from there: The Civil Rights Act of 1964 also helped set the foundation for other critical legislation like the Voting Rights Act of 1965.

“The act’s impact has been profound and continues to resonate in America,” said Kelly Oaks, associate vice president of equity and accessibility. “On this anniversary, we recommit to continuing the work that the Civil Rights Act began six decades ago. It is still the task of our time to build a democracy where every person is treated with dignity and has an equal opportunity to follow their dreams.”

Learn more about how the Office for Equity and Accessibility is working to make Virginia Tech an environment free from discrimination and harassment.