The time has come for equality of opportunity in sharing in government, in education, and in employment. It will not be stayed or denied. Upon signing the law, President Johnson was similarly direct. Our Constitution, the foundation of our Republic, forbids it. The principles of our freedom forbid it.
Morality forbids it.
And the law I will sign tonight forbids it. The EEOC was initially charged with the investigation and conciliation of all claims of discrimination brought under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, the Title which prohibited employment discrimination on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex and religion. However, even while maintaining its charge processing responsibilities, EEOC has seen its authority and mandate repeatedly expanded as this nation has taken additional steps in the fight against invidious discrimination in the workplace. In 1972, recognizing that the limited powers of investigation and conciliation were inadequate to the task, Congress gave the EEOC the additional authority to bring litigation in cases which it could not resolve administratively. At the same time, Congress also extended the protections of Title VII to federal workers, as well as state and local government employees.