Arguably, in the history of the American workplace, no single piece of legislation has been more powerful than the Civil rights Act of 1964. This legislative piece prohibits employers from discriminating against employees based on race, sex, national origin, religion, and color. It applies to employers who have more than 15 employees including, local, state and federal governments ("Title VII of the Civil Rights Act Of 1964: Equal Employment Opportunity"). Title VII also applies to both the private and public sectors. The aim of this Act was to bring to an end discrimination and bias that had plagued the American workforce, leading to a weaker and non-diverse workforce.
Over the last half-century, it is evident that Civil Rights Legislation has brought plenty of positive changes in the workplace. The United States has seen a significant progress towards a fairer and diverse workplace (Jackson). The Human Resource professionals have been at the forefront of ensuring changes in workplaces through implementing strategies and creating cultures that uphold diversity.
Today as we stand, more women and minorities have been given a chance in the United States workplace. By 2013, census figures showed that women made close to 47% of the entire workforce (Tamara, 28). This was a significant upsurge from the 29% in 1967 when the Title VII had just been implemented. The increasing numbers of women in the civilian workforce is proof enough that the Act has had an impact on the American workforce. Women are still slightly underrepresented in some of the best paying jobs in the country. Nevertheless, more women have in the past decades joined the workforce and made a significant impact in the U.S economy.