50th Anniversary of Civil Rights Act
RALEIGH (WTVD) -- It was a move that changed a nation torn apart.
On July 2, 1964 President Lyndon B.Johnson signed the Civil Rights Act outlawing discrimination and segregation.
Fifty years later, Rep. Evelyn Terry remembers the day well.
"It came on the heels of me not being able to attend a brand new high school that was built in Winston-Salem," said Rep. Terry.
Rep. Mickey Michaux recalls witnessing the event at the White House.
"That was one of the shining moments," said Rep. Michaux.
Decades later, he and other members of the North Carolina Legislative Black Caucus say inequality still exists, and they fear years of progress could be in jeopardy.
They held a news conference Wednesday afternoon to commemorate the law's historic anniversary.
"I never thought I would live to see the day when we would be out here marching again for those basic rights that we fought so hard for in the 50s and the 60s," said Michaux.
The Moral Monday campaign has mobilized thousands of protestors across the state, speaking out against Republican legislation they say attacks blacks, working-class and poor North Carolinians.
State lawmakers remain divisively split when it comes to issues like education, Medicaid and voting rights.
"Now it's not about can I get in the restaurant or the business? It's can I get a living wage in that restaurant or business? Not can I get in the hospital, but do I have a healthcare system that will be equitable and support me," said Sen. Angela Bryant.
Lawmakers are now pressing their constituents to work together on this monumental anniversary.
"The battle is not won," said Sen. Gladys Robinson.
On Wednesday, Governor Pat McCrory issued the following statement commemorating the 50th anniversary of the Civil Rights Act:
"The Civil Rights Act of 1964 did more than ban discrimination and segregation on the basis of race, religion, national origin and gender. It began a process that allowed people to get to know one another on a personal level that simply wasn't possible before the Civil Rights Act was signed into law. The 1964 Civil Rights Act is more than a milestone of the civil rights movement. Because it has benefited and belongs to every American, it's a milestone of our national history and character."
