Title VII at 60: A look at the landmark law’s past, present and future

HR Dive has prepared a series of articles on the history and future of the Civil Rights Act of 1964’s Title VII.

Published July 2, 2024 Kate Tornone Lead Editor

Black and white photo of a crowd of demonstrators from above.

Sixty years ago, Congress passed the Civil Rights Act of 1964, and President Lyndon B. Johnson signed it into law just hours later.

To commemorate its anniversary, HR Dive has prepared a series of articles on the history and future of the act’s Title VII, a landmark piece of legislation that banned employment discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex and national origin.

Below are a visual history of the law; a profile of a federal official whose life path is personally intertwined with the birth of the law; predictions for the legislation’s future; and more.

Celebrating 60 years: A visual history of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act

<a href=A young marcher during the March for Jobs and Freedom" width="1200" height="675" />

By Ginger Christ and Shaun Lucas • July 2, 2024 The landmark legislation shields employees from discrimination in the workplace. Read the full article ➔

A child of the Civil Rights Act: Gwendolyn Young Reams reflects on Title VII and her 52 years at EEOC

<a href=A crowd of people at the March on Washington in 1963" width="1200" height="675" />

By Caroline Colvin • July 1, 2024 The commission’s acting general counsel tells the story of how her life path is personally intertwined with the birth of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Read the full article ➔

6 numbers that define Title VII

A man exits the front of the U.S. Capitol at dawn.

By Kathryn Moody • June 24, 2024 Congress spent 534 hours debating the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which created Title VII protections and established the EEOC. Read the full article ➔

Why the Supreme Court’s ruling in Bostock was just the beginning for LGBTQ+ workplace rights

Individuals hold pride flags in front of the U.S. Supreme Court.

By Jen A. Miller • June 26, 2024 The decision and its effects show how Title VII — a law that touches the lives of all workers — continues to grow and change. Read the full article ➔

Title VII’s future will be shaped by AI, recent SCOTUS rulings, attorneys say

In a black and white photo, Lyndon B. Johnson sits in the foreground signing the Civil Rights Act, surrounded by Martin Luther King Jr. and dozens of politicians.

By Ryan Golden • July 1, 2024 The law’s anti-discrimination provisions remain a topic of complex debate, and sources who spoke to HR Dive expect the conversation to carry on well into the next several years. Read the full article ➔