Ollie’s Barbecue case

E53954

The Ollie’s Barbecue case refers to the U.S. Supreme Court decision in Katzenbach v. McClung (1964), which upheld the application of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 to a local restaurant under the Commerce Clause, reinforcing federal power to prohibit racial discrimination in public accommodations.

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Statements (46)

Predicate Object
instanceOf Commerce Clause case
United States Supreme Court case
landmark civil rights case
aroseIn Birmingham, Alabama, United States
surface form: Birmingham, Alabama
businessType family-owned restaurant
chiefJusticeAtDecision Earl Warren
citation 379 U.S. 294
citedFor broad congressional power over interstate commerce in anti-discrimination legislation
concerns interstate commerce in food products
public accommodations
racial discrimination in restaurant service
constitutionalProvision Commerce Clause
surface form: Commerce Clause of the United States Constitution

Fourteenth Amendment
surface form: Fourteenth Amendment (context of civil rights enforcement)
decidedBy Supreme Court of the United States
decisionDate 1964-12-14
decisionType unanimous decision
establishedThat even small, local businesses can be subject to federal regulation if they have a substantial effect on interstate commerce
foodSupplySource substantial portion of food purchased from out-of-state suppliers
geographicScopeOfRuling United States of America
surface form: United States
hasOfficialName Katzenbach v. McClung
holding Congress may apply Title II of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 to a local restaurant if its operations affect interstate commerce
Title II of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 is a valid exercise of Congress’s power under the Commerce Clause
surface form: Title II of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 is a valid exercise of Congress’s Commerce Clause power as applied to Ollie’s Barbecue

racial discrimination in restaurants that purchase substantial food from interstate commerce can be regulated under the Commerce Clause
impact expanded interpretation of the Commerce Clause to cover local discriminatory practices
strengthened enforcement of the Civil Rights Act of 1964
involvesStatute Civil Rights Act of 1964
involvesTitle Title II of the Civil Rights Act of 1964
jurisdiction United States federal law
legalIssue constitutionality of Title II of the Civil Rights Act of 1964
federal power to prohibit racial discrimination in public accommodations
scope of Congress’s power under the Commerce Clause
opinionBy Tom C. Clark
surface form: Justice Tom C. Clark
pageInUnitedStatesReports 294
petitioner Nicholas deB. Katzenbach
surface form: Nicholas Katzenbach, Attorney General of the United States
practiceChallenged refusal to serve Black customers in the dining area
precedentFor later Commerce Clause civil rights cases
reinforced federal authority to prohibit racial discrimination in public accommodations
relatedAreaOfLaw civil rights law
constitutional law
federalism
relatedTo Heart of Atlanta Motel, Inc. v. United States
respondent McClung
Ollie’s Barbecue
restaurantName Ollie’s Barbecue
timePeriod American civil rights movement
surface form: Civil Rights Era
volumeInUnitedStatesReports 379

Referenced by (1)

Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.

Katzenbach v. McClung alsoKnownAs Ollie’s Barbecue case