Judge Curtis Collier presides over a naturalization ceremony in this 2009 file photo.Laws don’t come to life on their own – people with strong character and passion take a stance against injustice and suffer so that laws can be upheld.
“Civil rights didn’t happen by magic,” said U.S. District Judge Curtis Collier. “People made tremendous sacrifice. That’s why we come to celebrate.”
Collier and South Carolina state Rep. Bakari Sellers were the speakers at the Federal Bar Association’s 50th anniversary civil rights celebration Tuesday.
Hundreds of blacks, whites, attorneys, students and professionals listened to speeches, freedom songs and soul-moving music to commemorate the event.
President Lyndon Johnson signed the Civil Rights Act of 1964 on July 2, 1964. It was landmark legislation outlawing discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex or national origin. It made it easier for blacks to vote and outlawed racial segregation in schools, at the workplace and in public places.