When the Civil Rights Act was signed into law in 1965, it was designed to protect persons from discrimination that had traditionally been prevented from entering certain fields, such as females and Americans with African ancestry. However, the statute says that all persons are protected from discrimination in employment based on their race, sex, or national origin, (among other things).
Over the years there have been numerous court cases on this issue, and the ultimate outcome has been that courts now recognize that all Americans are covered by the protections of the statute, including males and/or person with European ancestry. Some employers have turned a blind eye to this issue, by showing obvious favoritism to females or persons of color. In addition, some well-intentioned employers, in their zeal to comply with the civil rights laws or to overcome past discriminatory practices, blatantly and openly violate the law by discriminating against white males.