President Johnson had strongly urged the Congress to approve the law to honor the memory of President John Kennedy, who had introduced the proposal in 1963. President Kennedy was assassinated later that same year.

President Johnson later said signing the 1964 Civil Rights Act was one of the proudest moments of his presidency.

We hope you enjoyed our program today. And we hope it helped you learn everyday American English.

I’m Avi Arditti, and that’s “As It Is” on The Voice of America.