Editing Desegregation busing (section)

=== Civil rights movement ===

The struggle to desegregate the schools received impetus from the [[Civil Rights Movement]], whose goal was to end legal segregation in all public places. The movement's efforts culminated in Congress passing the [[Civil Rights Act of 1964]], the [[Voting Rights Act of 1965]], and the [[Civil Rights Act of 1968]]. Signed by President [[Lyndon Johnson]], the three laws were intended to end discriminatory voting practices and segregation of public accommodations and housing.  The importance of these three laws was the injection of both the [[legislative]] and [[Executive (government)|executive]] branches joining the judiciary to promote racial integration. In addition, the Civil Rights Act of 1964 authorized the federal government to cut off funding if Southern school districts did not comply and also to bring lawsuits against school officials who resisted.<ref name="patterson">{{cite book |last=Patterson |first=James |title=''Brown v. Board of Education'': A Civil Rights Milestone and Its Troubled Legacy (Pivotal Moments in American History) |year=2001 |publisher=Oxford University Press |location=US |isbn=0-19-515632-3 |url-access=registration |url=https://archive.org/details/brownvboardofedu2001patt}}</ref>

One argument against the [[Civil Rights Act of 1964]] that opponents of the proposed legislation found particularly compelling was that the bill would require forced busing to achieve certain [[racial quotas]] in schools.<ref name="'70s 252" /> Proponents of the bill, such as [[Emanuel Celler]] and [[Jacob Javits]], said that the bill would not authorize such measures. Leading sponsor Sen. [[Hubert Humphrey]] wrote two amendments specifically designed to outlaw busing.<ref name="'70s 252" /> Humphrey said "if the bill were to compel it, it would be a violation [of the Constitution], because it would be handling the matter on the basis of race and we would be transporting children because of race".<ref name="'70s 252" /> While Javits said any government official who sought to use the bill for busing purposes "would be making a fool of himself", two years later the [[Department of Health, Education and Welfare]] said that Southern school districts would be required to meet mathematical ratios of students by busing.<ref name="'70s 252" />