On This Day in History

This Day in History: Congress Passes the Civil Rights Act of 1968

Clay Cane
April 10, 2025

U.S. President Lyndon B. Johnson signs into law the Civil Rights Open Housing bill during a ceremony in the East Room of the White House in Washington, D.C., April 11, 1968. Watching in the front row, from left, are, Sen. Clifford Case, R-N.J.; Sen. Hugh Scott, R-Pa.; Rep. William McCulloch, R-Ohio; Sen. Edward Brooke, R-Mass.; Sen. Jacob Javits, R-N.Y.; Speaker John McCormack, D-Mass.; Rep. Emanuel Celler, D-N.Y.; Sen. Walter Mondale, D-Minn.; and Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall, far right. (AP Photo)

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On April 10, 1968, Congress passed the Civil Rights Act of 1968, a landmark law aimed at ending housing discrimination based on race, religion, or national origin. Signed the next day by President Lyndon B. Johnson, the law included the Fair Housing Act, which strengthened existing protections and made it illegal to deny rental or financing opportunities due to bias.

President Johnson signed into law the new Civil Rights Bill, April 11, 1968, in Washington. The bill signing ceremony took place in the East Room in the White House. (AP Photo)

This historic legislation came after decades of systemic discrimination that excluded African Americans from white neighborhoods. For the first time, victims of housing discrimination had legal grounds to seek justice.

Washington D.C. Mayor Walter Washington talks with President Johnson after the President presented him a pen commemorating the signing of the Civil Rights Bill in the White House East Room, April 11, 1968. (AP Photo)

The act marked a major step forward in the ongoing struggle for civil rights, following earlier milestones like the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965.

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Clay Cane is an award-winning journalist, writer, radio host, and political commentator. A graduate of Rutgers University with a degree in African-American Studies, his work on race, culture, and politics have appeared in national publications, including the Washington Post, CNN, and The Grio. Clay is a regular political commentator on MSNBC. Twitter: @claycane