Why was the civil rights act of 1964 so important?

The main significance of the civil rights act was to make it a federal crime for owners of public accommodations with any connection to "interstate commerce" (that is, practically everyone) to discriminate due to race, religion and national origin. It also prevents employment discrimination, including hiring decisions, in government agencies and companies with more than 15 employees. Principles of the civil rights act were further defined in the voting rights act of 1965 and education act of 1972.