When comparing the Civil Rights act and The Federal Government, their common denominator would be all branches of the government impacted on the civil right movements.
Once you've been violated over those period of times, you can actually file a complaint with the government at the federal level and must allow the government and its agency to take steps to enforce your civil rights.
The federal government through the federal courts and congress gradually implemented civil rights
Civil rights activists spearheaded protests against segregation and civil/human rights abuse
Explanation:
The protests of Americans on the streets through grassroots civil rights organization started after the second world war up until late 1968/9 and this era was also considered the second reconstruction of America because there was a lot of human right abuses especially against African-Americans.
African Americans in the congress during this era played a major role in pushing for civil rights but the most important factor that led to the congress signing into law a landmark civil right act in 1960 was due to the protests on the street against segregation. the Federal government through its executive power implemented the calls for human/civil rights