The Voting Rights Act of 1965

The Voting Rights Act of 1965 was signed by President Lyndon B. Johnson on August 6th of 1965, as a response to assaults on protesters in Selma, Alabama. The 15th Amendment prohibited discrimination in voting places, but this act allowed the government to enforce the voting rights granted by that amendment. Things like prohibiting literacy tests, fighting gerrymandering, and pre-clearance requirements were all allowed to be enforced by the government under the new act. Poll taxes were a tremendous issue, and after the 24th Amendment they were outlawed, but this act finally made the end of a poll tax reality. The Attorney General could now investigate voting places attempting to use poll taxes, which were a major factor for poor African-Americans who simply couldn't afford to vote. After this act was implemented, African-American voting increased by 43% in Mississippi. This act was important because African-Americans could finally vote for the elected officials that they wanted, which would end discrimination. This bill laid the groundwork for the voting act of 1965. The effects of it are still being felt today: judges now feel that the acts make it too easy for southern states to override northern states on votes.

The above photo is a pivotal moment in history for the Civil Rights Movement. Martin Luther King Jr. is perhaps the most famous Civil Rights activist of his time, and it was his actions that brought about this Voting Rights Act. The act of exchanging a pen with the President is extremely symbolic, as it represents not only the government getting involved in the Civil Rights Movement, but working with the people being oppressed. African-Americans were finally getting their rightful place in society, and what better form of recognition of their equality than the President of the United States working with their leader?