50th Anniversary of the Civil Rights Act of 1964

By Camille Hazeur

DOCR Commemorates the 50^th Anniversary of the Civil Rights Act of 1964

(View video here.)

How are the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Department of Transportation (DOT) related? Well, one small relation is that the same President, Lyndon B. Johnson, signed legislation establishing the two; the Civil Rights Act of 1964 predates the establishment of DOT by just two years. Both of these were part of President Johnson’s goal of a Great Society, one free from poverty and racial injustice.

Hence, when DOT opened its doors on April 1, 1967, it emerged during a period of time in our nation’s history that saw great advancement of the natural born rights of every American to fully participate in the civil and political spheres.

It is no surprise, then, that DOT is vested with the charge of providing a “fast, safe, efficient, accessible, and convenient transportation system that meets our vital national interests and enhances the quality of life of the American people, today and into the future.”

Many of the bills that were passed during the Great Society initiatives led to advancements in transportation management, such as those which sought greater safety standards and urban mass transit resulting in the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and the Federal Transit Administration.

The nation’s prosperity hinges on the ability of its entire population to move freely about the country. The nation’s wealth hinges on the inclusion of people from all backgrounds and perspectives in its hiring practices. And the nation’s future hinges on the equal and fair treatment of all individuals.

That’s why it’s important to keep at the forefront of our transportation planning, the ideals behind the Civil Rights Movement and related equal rights campaigns such as the Chicano Movement, the American Indian Movement, the Feminist Movement, and the current Gender Equity Movement.

Our work in accomplishing the core DOT mission, the mission of the Great Society, and the ideals of all the equal rights campaigns is far from over. Fifty years from the signing of the Civil Rights Act, while strides have been made, we still have a lot of work to do in creating a nation that is fair, equitable, inclusive, and fully leverages the diversity of all of its peoples.

I invite you to explore more about the work the Departmental Office of Civil Rights and the DOT Operating Administrations are doing to eliminate discrimination in the workplace, ensure the fair distribution of federal funds, increase transportation access for people with disabilities, provide important information to people with limited English proficiency, and safeguard disadvantaged communities from disproportionate burdens. I also encourage you to visit the links to additional information about the 50^th Anniversary of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the crossroads it shares with Transportation.

Link to Video Messages from DOT Senior Leadership