Title VI

Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 was adopted as part of the landmark civil rights law designed to outlaw racial discrimination in schools, public places, and employment. The legislation was extremely controversial at the time and survived a 54-day filibuster in the U.S. Senate before its passage. According to Title VI, “No person in the United States shall, on the ground of race, color, or national origin, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination in any program receiving Federal financial assistance” (42 U.S.C. § 2000d).

Eight years later, Congress enacted Title IX of the Educational Amendments of 1972, which prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex using the exact same wording as Title VI. Insofar as the two statutes contain virtually identical language, the U.S. Supreme Court has held that cases interpreting one of the laws can generally be applied to the other. This entry first reviews the scope of the statute, the mechanisms by which it is enforced, and the criteria for establishing a case under Title VI. It then considers several issues that have been litigated under Title VI, including affirmative action, race-exclusive scholarships, and academic standards for athletic eligibility.