Which area was not covered by the Civil Rights Act of 1964?
a. employment
b. public accommodations
c. school desegregation
d. poll taxes
The Correct Answer and Explanation is :
The correct answer is d. poll taxes.
The Civil Rights Act of 1964 was landmark legislation in the United States that aimed to eliminate discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, or national origin. It addressed various areas of civil rights, including employment, public accommodations, and school desegregation. However, the act did not specifically address the issue of poll taxes, which were fees required to vote in some states.
Poll taxes were used primarily in Southern states as a means to disenfranchise African American voters and, to some extent, poor white voters. By imposing a financial barrier to voting, states could effectively limit the electorate and maintain white supremacy in the political system. The practice of poll taxing became particularly prevalent after the Reconstruction era when many Southern states sought to regain control after the Civil War and the abolition of slavery.
The Civil Rights Act of 1964 did not eliminate poll taxes; that change came later with the 24th Amendment to the Constitution, ratified in 1964, which prohibited the use of poll taxes in federal elections. The Supreme Court also ruled in 1966, in the case of Harper v. Virginia Board of Elections, that poll taxes in state elections were unconstitutional.
In summary, while the Civil Rights Act of 1964 made significant strides in promoting equality and combating discrimination, it did not address the issue of poll taxes, which remained a barrier to voting until further constitutional amendments and court rulings addressed this discriminatory practice. The ongoing struggle against various forms of voter suppression and discrimination has continued well beyond the passage of the Civil Rights Act.