1957 - Civil Rights Act

August 29, 1957- Congress passes the Civil Rights Act of 1957, the first legislation of that type in 82 years.

• Senator Strom Thurmond of South Carolina sets a record for delaying the bill by speaking on the Senate floor for more than 24 continuous hours. 
• The South is determined to resist the push for equal rights for black Americans. However, later laws would make unlawful the artificial restraints that southern states had created to prevent African Americans from voting. 
• Later acts encourage African American voter registration in Charlotte. (pictured)