The Civil Rights Act of 1964 is arguably the single most significant measure enacted by the US Congress in the twentieth century. It swept away the Jim Crow system of Southern segregation and established the legal and political equality of African Americans. Whether it also established their social and economic equality is less clear-cut. Commemorating the 50th anniversary of the Act, Professor William P. Jones will address the historic circumstances of its enactment and considers its meaning its meaning for today’s African Americans in today’s America.

William P. Jones is Professor of History at University of Madison-Wisconsin. He has written extensively on African American history notably on the struggle for jobs and economic equality. His most recent book is The March on Washington: Jobs, Freedom, and the Forgotten History of Civil Rights (New York: Norton, 2013).

This event is organised in collaboration with UCL Institute of the Americas, KCL Institute of North American Studies and the US Embassy, London.