September 9, 2014 "The Civil Rights Act: A Long Struggle for Freedom" Exhibition Opens Today

An exhibition celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 opens today at the Library of Congress.

“The Civil Rights Act of 1964: A Long Struggle for Freedom” is located in the Southwest Gallery on the second level of the Library’s Thomas Jefferson Building, 10 First St. S.E., Washington, D.C. The year-long exhibition is free and open to the public Monday through Saturday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. It closes on Sept. 12, 2015.

More than 200 items, including correspondence and documents from civil-rights leaders and organizations, photographs, newspapers, legal briefs, drawings and posters are on view.

Audio-visual stations throughout the gallery feature 77 clips showing dramatic events such as protests, sit-ins, boycotts and other public actions against segregation and discrimination. Eyewitness testimony of activists and participants who helped craft the law is included.

The exhibition also features two videos co-produced with HISTORY®. An introductory film narrated by Julian Bond, a political and civil-rights leader and professor at American University and the University of Virginia, focuses on the significance of the Civil Rights Act. The second film explores the impact of the Civil Rights Act and features interviews with Taylor Branch, author and historian; U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg; U.S. Rep. John Lewis, a leader in the Civil Rights Movement; and Risa Goluboff, professor of law at the University of Virginia.

The Civil Rights Act of 1964 outlawed discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex or national origin. It banned discrimination in public accommodations, such as hotels, restaurants, theaters and retail stores. It outlawed segregation in public education. It banned discrimination in employment, and it ended unequal application of voter-registration requirements. The act was a landmark piece of legislation that opened the doors to further progress in the acquisition and protection of civil rights.

The exhibition highlights the legal and legislative struggles and victories leading to its passage, shedding light on individuals—both prominent leaders and private citizens—who participated in the decades-long campaign for equality. There are six thematic sections in the exhibition: Prologue, Segregation Era, World War II and the Post-War Years, Civil Rights Era, Civil Rights Act of 1964 and The Impact.

The materials are drawn primarily from the NAACP Records in the Library’s Manuscript Division and its Prints and Photographs Division.

A preview of the exhibition can be viewed online. A more complete version of the exhibition, including all of the objects, timelines and some audio-visual components, will be available by the end of September.

“The Civil Rights Act of 1964: A Long Struggle for Freedom” is made possible by a generous grant from Newman’s Own Foundation, with additional support from HISTORY for both audio-visual and educational content and outreach.

“By funding this exhibition, we proudly continue Paul Newman’s commitment to the empowerment of individuals,” said Robert H. Forrester, president of Newman’s Own Foundation. “We hope that the strength of the human spirit as reflected in this exhibit will inform people’s understanding of the present and provide inspiration to help create a better world for tomorrow.”

The Library of Congress, the nation’s oldest federal cultural institution and the largest library in the world, holds more than 158 million items in various languages, disciplines and formats. The Library serves the U.S. Congress and the nation both on-site in its reading rooms on Capitol Hill and through its award-winning website at www.loc.gov.