This article briefly reviews the contributions to this volume and revisits the original focus of the Civil Rights Act (CRA). It considers how much progress has been made in addressing the original concerns regarding ethnic and racial discrimination that the act was intended to address and the intersection of language issues with them. The article describes some of the historical context which created the need for the original CRA and subsequent legislation. It rejects the contention that there is no longer a need for federal action because many of the discriminatory concerns that the act sought to address still persist. The article also highlights key issues posed by each of the contributors to this volume which underscore the need for continued advocacy for linguistic and educational minority rights and accommodations particularly within the current, contentious political environment.