Anti-discrimination law
The Civil Rights Act of 1964 was the first major development in anti-discrimination law in the US, though prior civil rights legislation (such as the Civil Rights Act of 1957) addressed some forms of discrimination, the Civil Rights Act of 1964 was much broader, providing protections for race, color, religion, sex, or national origin in the areas of voting, education, employment, and public accommodations. This landmark legislation led the way for other federal legislation, which expanded upon the protected classes and forms of discrimination prohibited under federal legislation, such as the Fair Housing Act or the Americans with Disabilities Act. These protections have also been expanded through the courts interpretation of these pieces of legislation. For example, the 7th and 2nd circuit courts have both ruled that employment discrimination based on sexual orientation is a violation of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act. In addition to federal legislation, there are numerous state and local laws that address discrimination that is not covered by these laws.
Mary Dyckman
After receiving election to CLNJ's executive board in 1938, Dyckman chaired an inter-organizational committee to examine concerns with existing child labor laws. The work of this committee led to the passage of New Jersey's Child Labor Act of 1940. This law raised the minimum working age for children to 12 and reduced the number of hours that age-eligible children could work. Additionally, the law prohibited children under age 16 from working during school hours. Dyckman's later recommendations to Governor Walter Edge on protections for migrant workers directly led to the passage of New Jersey's Migrant Law of 1945. This law was the first of its kind in the U.S.