On July 2, 1964, President Lyndon Johnson signed the Civil Rights Act of 1964 into law. This landmark law prohibits discrimination on the basis of race in public accommodations, in publicly owned or operated facilities, in employment and union membership and in the registration of voters. To mark the anniversary, the U.S. Census Bureau has gathered key statistics that measure changes in some characteristics of different race groups to date.
Note: This analysis uses the closest available year for each race/ethnic group to the historic act. Analysis is limited because of limited historical data for all racial and ethnic groups.
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Population
1964
20,671,914 — The total estimated black population in the United States.
10.8% — The estimated percentage of the U.S. population that was black.
2013
41,623,897 — The total estimated black population in the United States.
13.2% — The estimated percentage of the U.S. population that was black.
1970
9.6 million — The total estimated Hispanic population in the United States.
4.7% — The estimated percentage of the U.S. population that was Hispanic.
2013
54.1 million — The total estimated Hispanic population in the United States.
