The Civil Rights Restoration Act was a significant piece of legislation in the history of Black civil rights in the United States. The Act was passed by Congress in 1988 and signed into law by President Ronald Reagan.

The purpose of the Civil Rights Restoration Act was to reverse a Supreme Court decision in Grove City College v. Bell, which had severely limited the scope of civil rights protections. In that case, the Supreme Court ruled that civil rights laws such as Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 only applied to specific programs that directly received federal funding, rather than to the entire institution receiving federal funds.

The Civil Rights Restoration Act effectively overturned the Grove City decision by expanding the coverage of civil rights laws to all aspects of an institution or program that receives federal financial assistance. This had a major impact on ensuring that civil rights protections extended to a broader range of activities and entities, including education, housing, employment, and more.

The passage of the Civil Rights Restoration Act was a victory for advocates of civil rights and equal opportunity, particularly within the Black community. It helped to strengthen legal protections against discrimination and marked an important step in the ongoing struggle for racial equality in America.