Sarbanes Statement on 50th Anniversary of Civil Rights Act

TOWSON – U.S. Congressman John Sarbanes (D-Md.) today released the following statement on the 50th anniversary of President Johnson's signing of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which banned discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex or national origin:

"Fifty years ago today, our country took a tremendous step forward in our ongoing fight to grant equal rights to all Americans. This landmark bill helped bring an end to the Jim Crow era – some of the darkest years in our country's history.

"But we must recognize that the battle is not yet over. A week ago, we marked the one-year anniversary of the Supreme Court's decision to gut the Voting Rights Act, which guarded against the despicable discrimination leveled against racial minorities as they sought to make their voices heard at the ballot box. We must honor the heroic civil rights leaders of the 60s by renewing the promise that every citizen should have an inalienable right to vote and that our Congress works for the public interest, not special interests."