Interesting Civil Rights History
Ever heard of the Civil Rights Act of 1875? I'll be honest, neither had I until recently. The law guaranteed "…'full and equal enjoyment' of public accommodations, such as hotels, transportation or theaters. It granted blacks the right to sue for personal damages, and allowed any qualified person to serve as a juror." Interestingly, this is the law that was ruled unconstitutional in Plessy v. Ferguson.
The Civil Rights Act of 1964 basically recreated what the 1875 law did. 1964 was after Brown v. Board of Ed. and thus Plessy v. Ferguson had already been overturned. So the 1964 law was pretty much assured to be upheld in the face of court challenges.
You've probably never heard of the Civil Rights Act of 1875. You, no doubt, have heard of Plessy v. Ferguson. Why do I mention this? See if you can figure it out.
1875 is during the era known as The Reconstruction, a time when the federal government was actively trying to secure the rights of the freed slaves. The southern states were actively trying to thwart the federal government's actions. The law, obviously, was passed by elected officials whose political affiliationis well documented.
Figure it out yet? Well, the Civil Rights Act of 1875 was Republican legislation signed by a Republican president (Ulysses Grant) and was passed over the objection of southern Democrats. Doesn't exactly fit the narrative that gets rammed down our throat does it.