On May 6, 1960, President Dwight D. Eisenhower put his signature on the Civil Rights Act of 1960. The significant legislation ushered in federal oversight of local voter registration sites and penalties for preventing individuals from registering to vote. The impetus for the bill stemmed from a wave of violent assaults on churches and Black educational institutions across the South.
Beyond laying the groundwork for more robust legal safeguards against discrimination, akin to those in the Civil Rights Act of 1964, this act extended the scope of the 1957 Civil Rights Act by outlawing bombings and local interference with federal court directives.
While not as pivotal as other civil rights measures, the passage of this act wasn’t easily secured. Southern lawmakers vehemently opposed it, leading to the longest filibuster in history, which endured for over 125 hours.
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