One of the most famous pieces of civil rights law is the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which was passed in the United States. This legislation outlawed racial segregation in schools, public places, and places of employment. A set of racial restrictions, known as Jim Crow laws, were created in the southern United States to separate blacks from whites. The Civil Rights Act of 1964 invalidated these laws and made it illegal to discriminate against an individual because of the color of his or her skin. As the years passed, the strength of this Act increased, and now several laws exist to protect the rights of racial minorities.