Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 prohibits discrimination in employment on the basis of race, color, religion, sex or national origin.
The word "sex" was not in the original wording of the Act. During the debate of the Civil Rights Act on the House floor, Congressman Howard Smith of Virginia mockingly offered the one word amendment to the Act. This led to several hours of debate, later called "ladies day in the House", after which the amendment did pass.
Smith was a staunch conservative and opponent of the Act and made the amendment as a ploy to have the entire bill shot down.
Smith later confessed to his colleague, Congresswoman Martha Griffiths, "Martha, I’ll tell you the truth. I offered it as a joke."
"The world has never yet seen a truly great and virtuous nation, because in the degradation of women, the very fountains of life are poisoned at their source." ~ Lucretia Motts
One of the biggest moments in the Woman's Movement was made by an opponent only as a joke - That idea backfired!
Miss Independent (Cover) by LMohlenkamp
