Lawmakers mark Civil Rights Act 50th anniversary

WASHINGTON (AP) — Congressional leaders are commemorating the 50th anniversary of the Civil Rights Act by posthumously bestowing the Congressional Gold Medal upon Martin Luther King Jr. and his wife Coretta Scott King.

The Kings' children, Martin Luther King III, Dexter Scott King and Bernice A. King, were expected to accept the honor for their parents. The civil rights leader was assassinated in Memphis in 1968. His wife died in 2006.

Bernice King said in a statement that she and her brothers are deeply honored that their parents are being recognized for their, quote "tireless and sacrificial leadership to advance freedom and justice."

President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the Civil Rights Act into law on July 2, 1964. It helped end legal discrimination based on race, sex, color, religion and national origin.