Title:
Heart of Atlanta Motel v. U.S.
US Citation:
379 U.S. 241 (1964)
Docket:
515
Events:
Argued - October 5, 1964
Decided - December 14, 1964
Subjects:
Civil Rights: Desegregation
Facts:
Title II of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 forbade racial discrimination by places of
public accommodation if their operations affected commerce. The Heart of
Atlanta Motel in Atlanta, Georgia, refused to accept Black Americans and was
charged with violating Title II.
Question
Presented:
Did Congress, in passing Title II of the 1964 Civil Rights Act, exceed its
Commerce Clause powers by depriving motels, such as the Heart of Atlanta, of
the right to choose their own customers?
Conclusion:
The Court held that the Commerce Clause allowed Congress to regulate local
inci
dents of commerce, and that the Civil Right Act of 1964 passed constitutional
muster. The Court noted that the applicability of Title II was "carefully limited to
enterprises having a direct and substantial relation to the interstate flow of goods
and people. . ." The Court thus concluded that places of public accommodation
had no "right" to select guests as they saw fit, free from governmental regulation.
Justices:
Hugo L. Black - (Special Concurrence) Associate justice, wrote an opinion
William O. Douglas - (Regular Concurrence) Associate justice, wrote an opinion
Tom C. Clark - (Majority) Associate justice, wrote an opinion
Earl Warren - (Majority) Chief justice
John M. Harlan - (Majority) Associate justice
William J. Brennan, Jr. - (Majority) Associate justice
Potter Stewart - (Majority) Associate justice
Byron R. White - (Majority) Associate justice
Arthur J. Goldberg - (Regular Concurrence) Associate justice, wrote an opinion
Advocates:
Moreton Rolleston, Jr. - argued the cause for the appellant
Solicitor General Archibald Cox - argued the cause for the United States
