CARBONDALE – July 2, 2014. Heading into the Fourth of July weekend, Lt. Governor Sheila Simon marked the fiftieth anniversary of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
"As we prepare to celebrate our country`s 238th birthday, we should take time to look back on the half century since the enactment of the Civil Rights Act," Simon said. "Today, we should honor the brave struggle of activists like Martin Luther King Jr., Rosa Parks and the Freedom Riders. We have come a long way, but there is still more work to be done to ensure true equality."
Simon spent part of the day Wednesday, the anniversary of the signing of the Civil Rights Act, at Southern Illinois University, where she spoke to international students about American politics and civil rights.
The Civil Rights Act of 1964 was conceived by President John F. Kennedy, defended in Congress by U.S. Senator Everett Dirksen of Illinois, and enacted under President Lyndon B. Johnson. Signed July 2, 1964, it ensures equality under the law regardless of race, color, religion, sex, or national origin. The law has given Americans a tool to fight discrimination in housing, the job market, the courtroom, and at the polls.
Simon continues to support the expansion of civil rights in Illinois. She spoke out in favor of marriage equality, and celebrated alongside activists as the marriage equality law went into effect last month. The law ensures the marriages of same-sex couples are legally recognized in Illinois.
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