1961 US Commission on Civil Rights Report Book 2 - University of ...

Foreword
The United States <strong>Commission</strong> on Civil Rights was created by the Civil
Rights Act of 1957 as a bipartisan agency to study civil rights problems
and report to the President and Congress. Originally created for a 2-year
term, it issued its first comprehensive report on September 8, 1959.
On September 14, 1959, Congress extended the <strong>Commission</strong>'s life for
another 2 years. This is the second of five volumes of the <strong>Commission</strong>'s
second statutory report.
Briefly stated, the <strong>Commission</strong>'s function is to advise the President
and Congress on conditions that may deprive American citizens of equal
treatment under the law because of their color, race, religion, or national
origin. The <strong>Commission</strong> has no power to enforce laws or correct any
individual wrong. Basically, its task is to collect, study, and appraise
information relating to civil rights throughout the country, and to make
appropriate recommendations to the President and Congress for corrective
action. The Supreme Court has described the <strong>Commission</strong>'s
statutory duties in this way:
... its function is purely investigative and factfinding. It does not
adjudicate. It does not hold trials or determine anyone's civil or
criminal liability. It does not issue orders. Nor does it indict,
punish, or impose any legal sanctions. It does not make determinations
depriving anyone of his life, liberty, or property. In short,
the <strong>Commission</strong> does not and cannot take any affirmative action
which will affect an individual's legal rights. The only purpose of
its existence is to find facts which may subsequently be used as the
basis for legislative or executive action.
Specifically, the Civil Rights Act of 1957, as amended, directs the
<strong>Commission</strong> to:
• Investigate formal allegations that citizens are being deprived of their
right to vote and have that vote counted by reason of their color, race,
religion, or national origin;
• Study and collect information concerning legal developments which
constitute a denial of equal protection of the laws under the Constitution;
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