Legal Definitions - civil-rights act

The Civil-Rights Act is a federal law that was enacted after the Civil War and during the civil-rights movement of the 1950s and 1960s. Its purpose is to implement and enforce the basic rights guaranteed by the Constitution, and to prohibit discrimination in employment and education based on race, sex, religion, color, or age.

• A company cannot refuse to hire someone because of their race or religion.
• A school cannot deny admission to a student because of their gender or age.
• An employer cannot pay a woman less than a man for doing the same job.

These examples illustrate how the Civil-Rights Act protects individuals from discrimination in various aspects of their lives, such as employment and education. The law ensures that everyone has equal opportunities and is not unfairly treated based on their race, sex, religion, color, or age.