50-year anniversary of Civil Rights Act celebrated at California African American Museum

EXPOSITION PARK, LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- Monday was a celebration of a major milestone in the fight for equality: The historic Civil Rights Act of 1964 was signed into law on July 2, outlawing discrimination based on the color of a person's skin.

The California African American Museum commemorated the 50th anniversary of the historic legislation on Monday.

It was a festive day at the California African American Museum, as civil rights leaders and state Attorney General Kamala Harris came together to celebrate the anniversary of the Civil Rights Act.

"I would not be standing here were it not for the Civil Rights Act," said Harris.

It's been 50 years since the day so many Americans fought for, when President Lyndon Johnson put pen to paper, signing into legislation the landmark Civil Rights Act outlawing discrimination and ending unequal voting registration requirements and racial segregation.

"You didn't have to define civil rights, you knew what it was," said Larry Aubry, vice president of the Black Community Clergy and Labor Alliance. "You wanted freedom, and you wanted it then."

"It's just unfortunate the lives that were lost, and those are the ones I think about the most, the names we don't speak of all the time, because had they not done what they did -- been bit by dogs, hosed down, lynched, you name it -- we would never have made that civil rights movement," said Charmaine Jefferson, executive director of the California African American Museum.

But despite the victories, civil rights leaders say there is still a lot of work to be done.

"Educational opportunity, to be sure; equal access to economic opportunities is certainly one. We can look at the fact that the Court recently pretty much undid the teeth of the Voting Rights Act," said Harris.

Many agree the fight is not over, but say the legislation signed in 1964 was a major step on the road to change and equality.

"The most important thing is that it gave people hope, hope that they didn't have before," said Aubry.