The Civil Rights Act of 1964 was different from earlier attempts to establish equality in the United States. Earlier attempts to desegregate the United States had all gone wrong in many ways. During the Supreme Court Act of Plessy v. Ferguson, racial segregation was found constitutional. "This finding helped continue legalized discrimination well into the 20th century." During the Supreme Court case, Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka found that "separate but equal" in public education were unjust, this greatly separated many citizens. "This decision polarized Americans, fostered debate, and served as a catalyst to encourage federal action to protect civil rights. " While the Civil Rights Act of 1964 declared, "declaring once and for all that discrimination for any reason on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, or national origin was illegal in the United States of America."
