Reference no: EM133296585

Question:- "The Commerce Clause authorizes Congress "to regulate Commerce with foreign Nations, and among the several States, and with Indian Tribes". The Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Commerce Clause paved the way for the prohibition of racial segregation and discrimination in businesses involved in interstate commerce. In the Heart of Atlanta Motel v. United States case, the Supreme Court used the power of Congress to uphold the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and found the motel owner in violation of the Act.

If the Court had ruled that Congress exceeded its Commerce Clause power, I believe the United States would probably look the same today, but the journey to this point would have been a rougher ride. I think the present ruling on the case finally moved our country in the right direction regarding racial segregation and discrimination. With the opposite ruling, I am not confident the states would have used their power to prohibit discrimination in public accommodations and employment as quickly as the Commerce Clause did. In my opinion, if the states wanted to make changes and create laws that prevented discrimination, then they would have already done so. I would like to believe that they would have eventually enacted similar laws, but I imagine the timeline would be much more lengthy."