Chinese American Community Action Planning Council (CACAPC)

A Call for Action

April 2024

The Civil Rights Act of 1964 was enacted on July 2, 1964, with signature by President Lyndon Johnson and strong bipartisan support (289-126 in the House, 73-27 in the Senate). It was the first of three landmark legislations, the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (CRA64), the Voting Rights Act of 1965 (VRA65), and the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965 (INA65). It outlawed discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, and national origin, and prohibited employment discrimination and racial segregation in schools and public accommodations.

Being the first of the three landmark legislations, the CRA64 has a singular historic significance because its passage provided strong momentum for the subsequent two legislations.

To mark the 60th anniversary of the Civil Rights Act, members of CACAPC are issuing “A Call for Action” and inviting Chinese American civic organizations to organize a commemoration event to demonstrate our unyielding allegiance to the Founding Ideal that “all men are created equal with inalienable rights,” and our unwavering determination to continue Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Unfinished Dream.

We propose a 2-mile Walk from the U.S. Capitol to the Lincoln Memorial on Sunday, June 30, 2024, from 9 am to 1 pm. Every Participant will wear a T-shirt “Walk for Civil Rights Commemorating the 60th Anniversary of the Civil Rights Act of 1964”.

We will invite NAACP, LULAC, ADL, and other national civil rights organizations to co-host this event, and national leaders such as President Biden, Vice President Harris, congressional leaders from both parties, and prominent civil rights leaders to speak in front of the Lincoln Memorial.