Title VI of the Civil Rights Act conditions federal aid on nondiscrimination

President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the Civil Rights Act of 1964, with Title VI (Section 601) prohibiting discrimination based on race, color, or national origin in any program or activity receiving federal financial assistance. The Department of Health, Education, and Welfare established the Office for Civil Rights on December 10, 1965, to enforce Title VI compliance across federally funded institutions. Twenty-nine federal agencies gained independent enforcement authority, with power to terminate funding to noncompliant recipients.