Final answer:
U.S. legislation such as the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Equal Pay Act of 1963, along with court-ordered measures, have been crucial in combating discrimination in employment, ensuring equal pay, and promoting civil rights in various spheres, including education through desegregation busing.
Step-by-step explanation:
Legislation Prohibiting Employment Discrimination
Several pieces of legislation and judicial actions have been influential in combating employment discrimination in the United States. The Civil Rights Act of 1964 is a landmark civil rights and labor law that made discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, or national origin illegal.
It also created the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) to investigate discrimination and enforce the provisions of the Act.
Furthermore, the Equal Pay Act of 1963 mandated equal pay for equal work, regardless of gender. Additional acts, such as the Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967 and the Pregnancy Discrimination Act of 1978, further prohibited employment discrimination on the basis of age and pregnancy, respectively.
These legal initiatives have been complemented by court-ordered measures, such as busing to promote desegregation in schools, enforcing equal educational opportunities.
All these efforts were part of a broader movement to ensure civil rights and combat discriminatory practices in various aspects of life, including housing, voting, and public accommodations.