Below is a message from the North Carolina Democratic Party (NCDP) honoring the anniversary of the Civil Rights Act. It reminds us that the fight for justice is ongoing and rooted in the power of organized people.

Sixty-one years ago, President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the Civil Rights Act into law. It was a landmark victory born from generations of organizing, protest, and unshakable courage. It outlawed segregation, banned discrimination, and began to reshape a nation. While it did not fix everything, it proved that organized people, moral courage, and relentless pressure can bend the arc of history. It was progress that was fought for in the streets, demanded at the ballot box, and signed into law because the people would not back down.

We have come a long way, but the work is not done.

From the gutting of the Voting Rights Act in Shelby v. Holder to today’s GOP-led attacks on civil rights and public education, the same forces that resisted justice then are still at it now. So today, we honor the movement that brought us this far. And we recommit to protecting the rights we have earned, defending the freedoms under attack, and finishing the work that began generations ago.

Civil rights are not just a box we checked in 1964. They are a promise we keep together every single day.

Originally shared by the NCDP Digital Team in their Weekly Connect newsletter.