Dingell Statement on 50th Anniversary of Civil Rights Act of 1964

Statement

Today, Congressman John D. Dingell (D-MI12) issued the following statement to mark the 50th anniversary of President Lyndon B. Johnson's signing of the Civil Rights Act of 1964:

"Fifty years ago today, I stood alongside President Johnson and leaders like Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., James Farmer, and my dear friend John Lewis, as the Civil Rights Act of 1964 became law. To this very day, I consider my vote in favor of this much-needed and morally just legislation to be the single most important vote I've cast in my entire career.

"Our nation stood at a crucial turning point, where discrimination and inequality threatened to tear us apart. The leaders of the Civil Rights movement helped to pave a path to not only where we stood that day for this bill's signing, but forward to where we stand now, together as one nation. Dr. King reminded us that hate could not conquer hate, only love could. And so we joined together and began to take steps to end this great moral wrong.

"But still today, more work remains to be done. Last year's Supreme Court decision to effectively gut much of the Voting Rights Act dealt a mighty blow to our fight for equality, and I continue to work to help right this wrong with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle. We must continue the progress made--championed by those who came before us--to protect and ensure the rights of all, regardless of race, color, creed, gender, or sexual orientation. As I reflect back on this day fifty years ago, I renew my pledge to continue to fight these injustices, and will work each and every day in the remaining months of my final term to do just that."

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