Foreword

The United States Commission on Civil Rights was created by the CivilRights Act of 1957 as a bipartisan agency to study civil rights problemsand report to the President and Congress. Originally created for a 2-year term, it issued its first comprehensive report on September 8, 1959.

On September 14, 1959, Congress extended the Commission's lifefor another 2 years. This is the third of five volumes of the Commission's second statutory report.

Briefly stated, the Commission's function is to advise the Presidentand Congress on conditions that may deprive American citizens of equaltreatment under the law because of their color, race, religion, or nationalorigin. The Commission has no power to enforce laws or correct anyindividual wrong. Basically, its task is to collect, study, and appraiseinformation relating to civil rights throughout the country, and to makeappropriate recommendations to the President and Congress for corrective action. The Supreme Court has described the Commission'sstatutory duties in this way:

.. . its function is purely investigative and factfinding. It docsnot adjudicate. It does not hold trials or determine anyone's civilor criminal liability. It does not issue orders. Nor does it indict,punish, or impose any legal sanctions. It does not make determinations depriving anyone of his life, liberty, or property. In short,the Commission does not and cannot take any affirmative actionwhich will affect an individual's legal rights. The only purpose ofits existence is to find facts which may subsequently be used as thebasis for legislative or executive action.

Specifically, the Civil Rights Act of 1957, as amended, directs theCommission to:

2022 Investigate formal allegations that citizens are being deprived of theirright to vote and have that vote counted by reason of their color, race,religion, or national origin;

2022 Study and collect information concerning legal developments whichconstitute a denial of equal protection of the laws under the Constitution;

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2022 Appraise the laws and policies of the Federal Government with respect to equal protection of the laws under the Constitution;

2022 Prepare and submit interim reports to the President and the Congressand a final and comprehensive report of its activities, findings, and recommendations by September 9, 1961.

The Commission's 7950, Report included 14 specific recommendations for executive or legislative action in the field of civil rights. OnJanuary 13, 1961, an...