The Voting Rights Act signed into law on Aug. 6, 1945, was intended to end discrimination against voters on racial grounds. The act prohibited state laws such as literacy tests and poll taxes that had been used to prevent certain groups, particularly African-Americans and poor citizens, from voting. It was a sequel of sorts to the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which outlawed segregation and prohibited discrimination against African-Americans and women.
In an Aug. 7, 1965, article, The Charleston Gazette of Charleston, W. Va., noted the historic nature of the legislation.

“President Johnson signed into law Friday the Voting Rights Act of 1965 and immediately announced steps for its quick and vigorous enforcement.

“The signing took place in the President’s Room of the Capitol, just off the Senate chamber. There, 104 years ago Friday, President Abraham Lincoln signed a bill freeing slaves pressed into the service of the Confederacy.”

Comments

Post new comment

Your name:

E-mail:

The content of this field is kept private and will not be shown publicly.

Homepage:

Comment: *

CAPTCHA

[Refresh]

We just need to make sure you are human!

Enter the code shown above:

Comments On Voting Rights Act Signed, Aug. 6, 1965

Currently the USA is facing a severe internal economic crisis which is alerting all its economic tentacles which are touching every corner of this planet. After the great depression of 1929 and after the secund world war, the USA found itself in a great economic standard as a super power. Therefore, allowing blacks to vote wasn't seen a threat for anybody. Today with the ovewhelming amount of undocumented as well as documented immigrants from all over the wolrd; the current economic crisis and the incapability of the government to create new jobs, the voting right signed back in 1945 can easily can become a hot potato that could only be eaten with heavy duty gloves.

By Orlando Gomez

30/Jul/2011