Final answer:
The power to end segregation in Washington, DC, ultimately rested with the federal government, particularly with the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which was signed into law by President Lyndon B. Johnson and proposed by President John F. Kennedy. It followed significant efforts by civil rights activists and Supreme Court rulings such as Brown v. Board of Education.
Step-by-step explanation:
Who Had the Power to End Segregation in Washington, DC?
The power to end segregation in Washington, DC, was primarily in the hands of federal government officials. The Civil Rights Act of 1964, which was a pivotal piece of civil rights legislation, played a critical role in desegregating public spaces nationwide, including Washington, DC. This Act was signed into law by President Lyndon B. Johnson on July 2, 1964, after being proposed by President John F. Kennedy in 1963 following years of civil rights protests and demonstrations led by figures like Martin Luther King Jr. and Thurgood Marshall. While there were local movements and court rulings that contributed to desegregation efforts, the broad enforcement of desegregation in public accommodations, schools, and other institutions in the capital was largely due to this comprehensive federal legislation.Before the Civil Rights Act, the Supreme Court had already started dismantling the 'separate but equal' doctrine with cases like Brown v. Board of Education, which declared state laws establishing separate public schools for black and white students to be unconstitutional. It was a combined movement comprising of legal strategies led by the NAACP and mass protests and civil activism that led to the passage of these federal laws, effectively ending de jure segregation.While President Kennedy utilized federal troops to enforce desegregation of schools, like in the case of the University of Alabama, it was legislative action that ultimately provided the Attorney General the power to file desegregation suits against schools, thus aiding in the enforcement of these laws.
Learn more about Civil Rights Act of 1964