What did the Civil Rights Act of 1964 aim to accomplish?

• A. Guarantee voting rights
• B. Prohibit discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, or national origin in employment and public accommodations
• C. Abolish slavery
• D. Regulate interstate commerce

Answer: (B)

Discrimination in employment and in public places was the focus of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. It prohibits unequal treatment based on race, color, religion, sex, or national origin in two main areas: employment (creating the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission to enforce it) and public accommodations like hotels and restaurants. Congress also used the power over interstate commerce to back up these protections, but the law’s main purpose is to end discrimination, not to regulate commerce by itself. Other options miss the mark: voting rights were addressed by later legislation and amendments; slavery was abolished by the 13th Amendment; and while interstate commerce power supports enforcement, the act’s aim is the prohibition of discrimination rather than broad commerce regulation.