On This Day August 29th Congress Passes the Civil Rights Act of 1957

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Civil Rights Act of 1957

August 29, 1957 - Congress passes the Civil Rights Act of 1957, the first legislation of that type in 82 years. Senator Strom Thurmond of South Carolina sets a record for delaying the bill by speaking on the Senate floor for more than 24 continuous hours. The South is determined to resist the push for equal rights for African Americans. However, later laws would make unlawful the artificial restraints that southern states had created to prevent African Americans from voting.

PART IVTO PROVIDE MEANS OF FURTHER SECURING AND PROTECTING THE RIGHT TO VOTE

SEC. 131. (C) Add, immediately following the present text, (13) four new subsections to read as follows:

(b) No person, whether acting under color of law or otherwise, shall intimidate, threaten, coerce or attempt to intimidate, threaten or coerce any other person for the purpose of interfering with the right of such other person to vote or to vote as he may choose, or of causing such other person to vote for, or not to vote for, any candidate for the office of President, Vice President, Presidential elector, member of the Senate or member of the House of Representatives, delegates or commissioners from the territories or possessions, at any general, special, or primary election held solely or in part for the purpose of selecting or electing any such candidate.

(c) Whenever any person has engaged or there are reasonable grounds to believe that any person is about to engage in any act or practice which would deprive any other person of any right or privilege secured by subsection (a) or (b), the Attorney General may institute for the United States, Or in the nation of the United States, a civil action or other proper proceeding for preventive relief, including an application for a permanent or temporary injunction, restraining order, or other order. In any proceeding hereunder the United States shall be liable for costs the same as a private person.

(d) The district courts of the United States shall have jurisdiction of proceedings instituted pursuant to this section and shall exercise the same without regard to whether the party aggrieved shall have exhausted any administrative or other remedies that may be provided by law.

http://www.historicaldocuments.com/CivilRightsActof1957.htm

"Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable."                                                                 -- John F. Kennedy, March 12, 1962