July 2, 2024 Press Release WASHINGTON, DC – Congressman Steny H. Hoyer (MD-05) released the following statement today on the 60th anniversary of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 being signed into law: “Today marks sixty years since President Lyndon B. Johnson, with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. standing beside him, signed the Civil Rights Act into law. He did so amid a time of great uncertainty for America. Less than eight months prior, an assassin took the life of President John F. Kennedy, plunging our country into fear and jeopardizing the fallen President's civil rights agenda. The historic legislation faced multiple filibusters and other efforts to kill it. Just weeks before the bill reached the President, three civil rights activists were brutally murdered in Mississippi. “Fortunately, courage and determination prevailed over fear and uncertainty. Brave men and women marched on Washington, spoke out against injustice, and called on America to live up to its ideals. My dear friend and brother John Lewis was among the many activists who risked their lives in the name of freedom. They were instrumental in building support for the Civil Rights Act. The stroke of President Johnson's pen, however, did not fulfill that promise of freedom in full. From the Selma march to the assassination of Dr. King, many of the greatest struggles of the civil rights movement happened after that legislation became law. “The struggle for civil rights continues even today. Whether by supporting voting rights, creating economic opportunities for historically disadvantaged communities, or promoting equity throughout American society, I have worked to build on the legacy of the Civil Rights Act. Whether it's this anniversary or my annual pilgrimages to some of the most crucial sites of the civil rights movement, remembering this crucial chapter in American history reminds us that further progress is always possible so long as Americans are willing to push for it.”