Final answer:
The United States passed the Civil Rights Act of 1964 which prohibited employment discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, or national origin. It also created the EEOC and made advances in ending segregation in public spaces and education. The correct answer to the question is (c) 1964.
Step-by-step explanation:
In 1964, the United States Congress passed a landmark piece of legislation known as the Civil Rights Act of 1964. This critical law targeted various forms of discrimination and sought to address inequalities that had been deeply entrenched in American society. One of the Act's key components was Title VII, which specifically prohibited discrimination in employment on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, and sex. In a twist of fate, the inclusion of sex as a protected class was initially intended as a strategy to derail the Act but ultimately became a vital aspect of its protections.
This Act also led to the creation of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), an agency that was established to investigate discrimination complaints and enforce the norms outlined by the legislation. Additionally, the Civil Rights Act of 1964 made significant strides in promoting integration in education and ending racial segregation in public accommodations. The Act not only addressed employment discrimination, but also tackled other areas of social disparity such as voter registration and segregation in schools, making it one of the most consequential pieces of civil rights legislation in U.S. history.
Later amendments, like the Pregnancy Discrimination Act of 1978, expanded the scope of this protection to include specific circumstances such as pregnancy. Therefore, the correct option indicating the year the United States passed legislation prohibiting employers from discriminating against a person based on race, religion, gender, or ethnicity is (c) 1964.