This Day in History: The Voting Rights Act of 1965

The Voting Rights Act of 1965, the landmark federal legislation that prohibits racial discrimination in voting, was signed into law on August 6, 1965. President Lyndon Baines Johnson signed into law and Congress later amended it five times to expand its protections.

Here is the message delivered to Congress by Pres. Johnson:

The Act’s “general provisions” provide nationwide protections for voting rights. Section 2 is a general provision that prohibits every state and local government from imposing any voting law that results in discrimination against racial or language minorities as well outlawing literacy and poll taxes, which were used to disenfranchise the Global Majority.

Here is a brief history of the voting rights in America:

Originally posted 2021-08-06 14:00:00.