Governor Commemorates 50th Anniversary Of Civil Rights Act

CHICAGO (CBS) — Gov. Pat Quinn marked the 50th anniversary of the Civil Rights Act by signing new legislation he said would help the African-American community in Illinois.

WBBM Newsradio Political Editor Craig Dellimore reports the governor visited the historic – and conveniently named – Quinn Chapel A.M.E. Church to sign a measure extending the life and powers of the state’s African American Family Commission.

The History Of Civil Rights In Chicago

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Quinn was asked about how his Republican challenger, Bruce Rauner, has been visiting black churches and establishing a Latino committee.

“You’ve got to look at somebody’s record. You know, as far as our cabinet directors and my staff, more than 30 percent are people of color, or people from diverse backgrounds,” Quinn said. “Look at the firm that he started, 51 people, not one African-American on that group. Yeah, not one.”

Quinn refused to talk politics further, saying it was a day to honor passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, landmark legislation that made it illegal to discriminate based on race, color, religion, sex, or national origin; ended racial segregation of schools and the workplace; and outlawed discriminatory application of voting requirements.