Forty-five years ago today, the Civil Rights Act became law. At the ceremony, President Johnson said: “The proudest moments of my presidency have been times such as this when I have signed into law the promises of a century.” The event occurred one week to the day after the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. Among its provisions, the act protected civil rights workers, expanded the rights of American Indians, and established measures to end discrimination in housing. At the end of last year, the national homeownership rate was 65.4 percent, up from 63 percent in 1970. For blacks, that rate is 44.5 percent today, up from about 41.5 percent in 1970. You can find more facts about America from the U.S. Census Bureau, online at <www.census.gov>.