Heart of Atlanta Motel v. United States

Heart of Atlanta Motel marked a turning point in Congress' efforts to promote civil rights through use of its power to regulate interstate commerce.

The Heart of Atlanta Motel was a 216-room establishment located in downtown Atlanta, Georgia, close to several interstate highways. The motel advertised in national magazines and on billboards within Georgia. Approximately 75 percent of the motel's registered guests came from out of state.

In 1964, Congress passed a civil rights act intended to eliminate racial discrimination. Some of the act's most important provisions appeared in a section known as Title II, which insured full access to places of public accommodation to racial minorities. Prior to passage of the act, the Heart of Atlanta Motel had consistently refused to supply African Americans with rooms. Claiming that it was the motel's right as a private business to continue this practice, the motel operator filed suit in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia, seeking a judicial declaration that Title II was unconstitutional, as well as an injunction preventing the enforcement of the public accommodations provisions.

The federal government countersued, seeking enforcement of the act against the hotel. The government prevailed in district court, and the hotel operators appealed this judgment to the U.S. Supreme Court.