Dear ~~first_name~~,
Greetings from LWV Wake.
On August 6, 1965, The Voting Rights Act was signed into law by President Johnson. Although the 15th Amendment gave black Americans the right to vote, some states and voting districts required voters to pay poll taxes or take literacy tests, systematically depriving African-Americans, particularly black women, the right to vote. The Voting Rights Act of 1965 outlawed these practices and others.
The results of these changes and introduction of voter “examiners” were dramatic. By the end of 1965, the five states of the Deep South alone registered 250,000 new African-American voters. In 1965 only six African-Americans served in the U.S. Congress, none in the Senate. Today, the number of people of color in the US Congress and Senate is 133.
But voting rights challenges continue today. The June 25, 2013 Shelby County vs. Holder Supreme Court decision declared unconstitutional the pre-clearance clause of the Voting Rights Act of 1965. The pre-clearance clause required localities and states to submit any proposed changes in voting procedures to the U.S. Department of Justice or a federal district court in D.C. before it went into effect to ensure the change would not harm minority voters. This ruling empowered some states and municipalities to create obstacles to voting that again target people of color.
As we move forward to Women’s Equality Day on August 22 and the General Election November 5 we are re-doubling our efforts to Empower Voters and Defend Democracy and make the difference, ensuring those 18 and over are free to cast their ballots.
Helen Zimmerman
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