The Civil Rights Act of 1964 targeted discrimination in which two main sectors?

• A. Public health and education
• B. Public accommodations and employment
• C. Housing and transportation
• D. Voting and taxation

Answer: (B)

The act’s reach was to end discrimination in two main arenas of public life. In places the public uses, it bans denying service or segregating people in hotels, restaurants, theaters, and other public venues based on race, color, religion, sex, or national origin. In the workplace, it bars discrimination in hiring, firing, pay, job assignments, promotions, and terms of employment, creating a framework for equal opportunity on those grounds. This focus is why it’s described as targeting public accommodations and employment. Other areas like housing or voting were addressed by later laws—housing protections by the Fair Housing Act and voting protections by the Voting Rights Act—so they aren’t the primary targets of this act.