Attorney General Eric Holder gave a history lesson coupled with an appraisal of current events Tuesday to an audience gathered at Howard University to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

Holder recapped African-American history beginning with the 1619 arrival of slaves in the British colonies and emphasized gains following the Civil War and the 1960s civil rights movement.

He warned, however, that the uplifting tale of progress doesn't mean the country is free of racism.

“We must never hesitate to confront the fact, the undeniable truth, that in too many places across this nation that I love – and have served throughout my life – that the echoes of injustices stretching back nearly four centuries continue to reverberate,” Holder said. “These echoes from times past are still heard by too many.”

"Too many individuals act in ways that are negligent or counterproductive," he said.

The venue was friendly turf for the country’s first black attorney general. He was welcomed with a standing ovation and received robust applause when he denounced state laws that require a photo ID to vote.





“Our society is not color blind, nor should it be, given the disparities that still afflict and divide us,” Holder said after discussing prison sentencing disparities and variance in the quality of public education. “We must be color brave.”

In addition to urging continued pursuit of racial equality, Holder linked the civil rights movement to ongoing minority rights movements, including those for gay and transgender people. And he urged Congress to pass various laws.

“Today, I am calling on Congress to renew the spirit of the Civil Rights Act by updating fair housing and lending laws to address discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation, gender identity and marital status; by strengthening workplace protections to prohibit pay discrimination against women and to finally end discrimination against LGBT citizens; by ensuring equal access to education and promoting nondiscriminatory learning environments; and by passing updated voting rights legislation that will enable every voter, in every jurisdiction, to exercise – unencumbered – the rights that so many have fought for and died to defend,” he said.

Howard University played host to Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., in April 2013. The likely 2016 presidential candidate has repeatedly reached out to African-Americans, attempting to build bridges with the traditionally Democratic demographic on issues such as school choice and criminal justice reform.