In ames for the family leadership summit, where nine leading republican president ial candidates are scheduled to speak. On cspan, cspan radio, and he span. Org. The road to the white house, 2016. We take you there. Each week real america, bringing you archival films. One year after president Lyndon Johnson signed the 1964 Civil Rights Act, the u. S. Information agency Brother Group of civil rights leaders together to discuss their effectiveness. The moderator is a civil lights civil rights lawyer who along with others, founded americans for democratic action argued 16 cases before the u. S. Supreme court, lobbying congress for passage of the 1964 Civil Rights Act the white house today, july 2, 19 624. The occasion, signing into law the Civil Rights Act of 19 for. 1964. We much not we must not approach this in a vengeful spirit. The purpose is not to punish. The purpose is not to divide but to end divisions that have lasted too long. The purpose is national, not regional. This Civil Rights Act is a challenge to all of us to go to work in our communities and states, in our homes and our heart, to eliminate the last vestiges of injustice in our beloved country. So, tonight i urge every public official, every religious leader, every business and professional man, every workingman and housewife, i urge every american to join in this effort to bring justice and hope to all our people. And to bring peace to our land. [applause] one year has passed you where has it gone . What has and has not been done during that year that held such great promise . One year has passed since we had the president s civil rights bill enacted into law. We are here with some of the same people that were here today. Here to take a look back at this year of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and look ahead at what may come in other areas for civil rights for all americans. We welcome the executive secretary of the end of the lindsay naacp and chairman of the Leadership Conference on civil rights. Mr. Leroy collins, the director of the Community Relations service and former governor of florida, ahead of his time on civil rights there. Sterling tucker, the washington director of the National Urban league and a very distinguished city of this member of the city of washington, where we are today. Looking at you, mr. Wilson, when we were fighting for the double right act of 19 for you testified on the need for fair treatment. I will never forget that never forget that testimony. While we talk here today, as we spoke last, while the Congress Debates in the next, Negro Americans throughout our country will be affected by differential treatment in or exclusion from public accommodations. From the time that they leave their homes in the morning on the way to work, shopping and visiting, until they return home at night. Night. Do you feel that the last year has changed that to chew asian on which you gave such elegant testimony . I think that it has certainly alleviated much of it. I would say that especially in the areas where the abrasiveness was most felt, we had compliance , as governor collins will knows , in unlikely places. Mississippi, alabama, South Carolina and parts of louisiana. The socalled hardcore areas. While the vestiges of this humiliation have not by any means vanished, but one year we can say that appreciable relief has come to many a Negro American person. I was there one year ago when the bill was signed by president john. I remember vividly that his first act was to appoint you to the Community Relations service. How do you look act on that year of public accommodations . I was extremely proud. While i did not have anything to do with the effort that was made to create the climate of acceptance, i admire greatly those of you who were. I think that history is going to exemplify that the passage of this law, just one year ago is amenable to the great landmarks of progress in this country. The president asked me to direct the Community Relations service in disarming the disputes and bridging and bringing about a climate of acceptance in this country. I think of the progress the nation has made in the last year has them phenomenal. I think it when we look back now , look back to one year ago, any fairminded person will have to admit that progress has been tremendous. The tests and checks we have made indicate a high degree of compliance. The case involved the horrible reaction. The one that has protected the newspapers and divided society. In the exceptional instance of resistance, its not the case, but down in atlanta, georgia, one restaurant tour was making a speech of defiance and closing his door against negroes coming into his restaurant, amongst hundreds, but they have had their doors now extended wide in hand of fellowship and friendship, welcoming the patronage of negroes along with all the other american citizens. The has been a fine acceptance now, we cannot rest on our laurels. There is so much more to be done. That is with the nation is on the way to doing. Where the federal Government Funds cannot go to any program that disseminates with inside it. Has that work . The public accommodation log in the long run the big significance for the act we find in title 16. There are three reasons why this is especially. One, the title itself makes a National Bill with regional character in the south. This is all being reexamined under title vi. Another title deals with Public School desegregate him but most is going to come under. There were 17 School Districts whose plans had never been approved. Eight southern governors were in washington just a few weeks ago. This has become a law of the land now. Perhaps one of the most segregated hot the country. I think the perhaps one weakness is that this is a mainly administrative action. Therefore the question of the effectiveness on it will be determined by the enforcement. This will be proved over the course of time. Under this law the federal government show that you must practice what you preach. The subscription to the great ideas in this nation, here the federal government is directly on the spot. I was just as proud as i could be when i sat in a cabinet eating not long back in the issue was laid bare. The president could not have made a stronger statement. At that time he expected the law to be applied to every federal agency, no matter where it was located, no matter how big or small. The federal government was going to see to it that they would be safe in their own house. He called upon everyone in the cabinet and everyone in the agency to not only comply, but report to him regularly. I think that this is tremendously significant. The remember not long ago when people said that you were crazy for suggesting the federal government should cut off funds used in a discriminatory manner . Those who were far out on this question, president kennedy had a presidency in which there was a conference in january of 19 to one. He said every good administrator put it on paper. I think that our listeners might like to know that about the some of this is 10 billion that is allocated by the federal government here in washington to the various states for various activities. One of the bestknown ones is the school lunch program, but highways have come under it in the operation of state employment agencies, research programs, grants to universities and colleges and all sorts of funds come under it. Perhaps people dont understand exactly what they are talking about when they cut off federal funds. So far we have all agreed on the tremendous progress that has been made. There have been some terrible things that happened in the last year. The deaths of people who were helping negroes in the south. Dad events. Do you have any thoughts on how these bad events tie into the general picture of the dog rescue have made under the law . I would like to lead off with that. Collects in selma, when the nation had much to be ashamed of and all of those horrible things happen there nevertheless they so shocked the conscious of the American People conscience of the American People that they saw across the land the discrimination practiced by the states against the negro. Out of this indignation and resolve has come a new law that makes sure that no state, he, no community will affect the discrimination. As horrible as these examples of violence have the, they have still disturbed the American People into action. That action has developed. I guess it is a sad fact almost inevitable, that the kinds of great social change that are necessary, that are coming, or going to bring with it some act of violence. It is amazing that there have not in more. Especially in a democracy where the people have to take the lead. All kinds of opinions find a platform. All kinds of opinions find support. But as governor collins has said, it is amazing how the great mass of Public Opinion has been able to mobilize so quickly around the issue so that if violence so that the violence does nots red. Which is at least contained at this point. This has been essential to the continued progress, but it could have been real trouble. And how the opinion of some of the africans has changed. Now that they have had a chance to study this thing a little closer and have worked backwards from here, we are beginning to get reactions in our agency that the government is working on this problem and i think that the upheaval the unpleasant things that have happened and outbreak of Public Opinion demonstrates that the country, the people, and the government certainly the government has taken the lead in this. We are not sweeping it under the rug, not pretending it doesnt exist. I think that this is a great game. There is one phase of this law that we must not pass by without referring to the subculture of people who are assured the right to be judged on the merits in a private encampment. Right now on a mandatory asus basis, that progressively goes down until it applies to all businesses who who employ 25 or more. Employers on their own voluntarily, anticipating and recognizing the precedents in the law have already set to motion plans and procedures that will actually comply and which will oversee and supervise. And from now on this mission is committed to each being judged on their merits and given the opportunity that all citizens have. Always most interested in the enclosure prop it is a breadandbutter issue and area employers and there is no talk of resistance, just a question of, how we can super bowl way and there are some good experiences good experiences with format laws. Under committee we have learned a great deal. A number of employers are already in compliance, doing things including recruiting in places where they did not recruit before. And will eventually be moving up and thats bowling. And it is the most important. We read 99 of this country voting. And the state of alabama had less than 15 of their negro voting age registered to vote. This went up to 76 out of 82. And i look forward to the great progress coming from the local level to her with officials declining. They dont have those kinds of sheriffs. In your speech, on the march on washington in 1963 on the 28th of august, i Many Congress and said and i said to someone speaking of your si a metric and it has is there were with a democracy. Those few words, connected with last times programming, one year ago we were on this programming together and was subject to having the day and we pointed out that the Voting Rights of the 64 law were not adequate. And now we are back and for the federal government to register outlawing the literacy test that otherwise divided and have been used against negro voting. I think of the one consensus for the law or not going into effect and these were 40 of the population not quite as high as of may and is about color skin as with material beforehand, we are going to have a continuance of southern congressman, some southern mayors reelected because they are good men in economic governments and negro voters will know they are good men and some voted, some did not. And i will bet we have seen the last is and not only was there the influence of that law but specifically the fact that we have an negro Voter Registration to the point now where it would the suicidal and we made it worse with special riffles through the area, though he was elected. So, he came to point already and there were many elections in the south. We will never have another in which there will be an open issue of entitlement is him against with the work that we are betting is used. I think that Many Organizations such as the naacp and the urban group printed a National Election that put on a very Important Campaign across the country to raise a participation of voters everywhere and in terms of his broader participation and political effect. Gentlemen, it can be hard to believe this, but our time is up. It has been such an Interesting Program that went terribly fast. The time is up and the year is up. The year in which we had to decide whether we could make the 1964 law work. I think it is our feeling that despite the blemishes on the record of the last year, despite the difficulty, they were difficulties that came out of progress. Out of things moving forward. When we told you one year ago about our great new civil rights law of 1964, it was not an exaggeration. It is in fact i think a little better. Now, with a new law in Voting Rights, i think we can say to you that we feel that that law is going to help move this country towards where we want to be. That all men are created equal. [captioning performed by the national captioning institute, which is responsible for its caption content and accuracy. Visit ncicap. Org] [captions Copyright National cable satellite corp. 2015] viewer watching American History tv, all weekend, every weekend on cspan3. To join the conversation, like us on facebook. Each week, reel america brings you archival films that help tell the story of the 20th century