What is prohibited by the Civil Rights Act of 1964?

The Civil Rights Act of 1964 is a landmark piece of legislation that specifically prohibits discrimination in various areas, including employment, education, and public accommodations. The Act protects individuals from discrimination based on several specific categories, including race, color, religion, sex, or national origin. This means that individuals cannot be treated unfairly or unequally because of these characteristics.

Discrimination based on race, religion, color, or national origin directly aligns with the protections offered by the Civil Rights Act. In contrast, the other options encompass areas that, while important to social justice and equity, were not included in the prohibitive clauses of this particular legislation. For example, discrimination based on sexual orientation, age, or the status of being a native-born citizen was not explicitly addressed in the 1964 Act, and subsequent protections for these categories have evolved through later legislation and court interpretations.

Therefore, the provision in the Civil Rights Act of 1964 that prohibits discrimination based on race, religion, color, or national origin remains a fundamental aspect of civil rights in the United States, reflecting the law’s aim to establish equal rights for all individuals regardless of these characteristics.