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The Voting Rights Act, 60 Years Later, Fierce White Backlash and an Ominous and Uncertain Future!
August 6 marked the 60th anniversary of the ratification of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 — one of the most consequential laws in the nation’s history. Signed after the Selma-to-Montgomery marches, the act augmented the 15th Amendment’s promise that no American could be prohibited access to the ballot box because of their race. The results were indisputable. Towns and counties where Black voter registration had previously been less than 10% witnessed registrations surge. Black citizens who had long been denied access to participation in the political process acquired representation on school boards and in town halls, state legislatures, and Congress. The Voting Rights Act provided solid evidence that when the federal government enforces equality, diversity, and inclusion, democracy becomes stronger.
Over the next several decades, the act was extended and expanded. Then, however, in Shelby County v. Holder (2013), the Supreme Court struck down a section of the act as unconstitutional because it violated states’ power to implement and control elections. The court ruled that the section was outdated and not responsive to current conditions. The decision had an immediate effect and led to states employing strict photo ID laws and voter roll purges. Questions about the Voting Rights…
