...Voting Rights Act of 1965 In 2013 the US Supreme Court ruled that Section 4 of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 was unconstitutional. The Voting Rights Act of 1965 has been the most powerful piece of civil rights legislation, and guaranteed political representation via popular vote. Moreover, Section 5 specifically necessitated selected areas with a history of voter discrimination to get approval from either the U.S. District Court for D.C. or the U.S. Attorney General before they amending voting processes. This was to preempt any minority voter disenfranchisement through the use of any variety of voting "test," such as a literacy test, educational or knowledge requirements, proof of good moral character, and requirements that a person must be vouched for in order to exercise their right to vote. It has also been updated to protect against the use of gerrymandering, prohibitive voting hours, and abusive ID requirements. Chief Justice Roberts delivered the majority opinion that ruled Section 4(b) as being unconstitutional. He described the Voting Rights Act as "strong medicine" for a time when minority voter disenfranchisement was nation wide. The Census Bureau has since reported that the number of African American voters in five of the nine states listed in the Voting Rights Act actually surpasses white voter turnout. The majority opinion granted that voter discrimination still exists, but questioned whether the laws outlined in Section 4(b) were truly the best means of...
Words: 1241 - Pages: 5
...The Voting Rights Act of 1965 opened many doors for minorities that were prohibited from voting prior to 1965. During this time LBJ was in office an strived for equality between the sexes and races in terms of voting rights; the act prohibited literacy tests from being implemented during voting periods and allowed certain individuals that were denied registration to register for voting. Although the 15th amendment was in effect, many African Americans were still unable to vote due to denied registration or failing to pass the literacy test given before going to the ballots. Individuals that were in bad economic standings were also denied from voting due to being unable to pay the 1.50-1.75 dollar poll tax. The only individuals allowed to vote freely without any boundaries were men and women that were not of color, had good economic standing,capable of passing the literacy test, and property owners....
Words: 573 - Pages: 3
...The voting rights act of 1965 was written into law by President Lyndon Johnson on August 6th 1965, and it prevented African Americans from using their right to vote under the 15th amendment of the constitution. After the law was passed in 1965 more than 250,000 African Americans were registered to vote. The voting rights act of 1965 prohibits racial discrimination in voting. It helped more minorities be able to vote, the voting rights act came to pass during the civil rights movement. During this time many African Americans were facing many racial and segregating events. Around this time Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. had just finished working and helping out in Birmingham, it was brought to his attention of Selma’s lack of voting and equal rights...
Words: 502 - Pages: 3
...Xavier Jones Professor Brenda Stephens Eng 101 25 November 2015 Social Inequality and Racism: How We Have Killed the Dream. On August 28, 1963 The March on Washington called for more jobs and all around freedom. It remains one of the most popular mobilizations ever created. It was planned and birthed by a union of civil rights activist and people of feminist support, in which most were African Americans. The protest drew nearly a quarter of a million people to our nation’s Capital. One of, if not the most memorable moment of The March on Washington is Dr. Martin Luther King’s “I Have a Dream” speech (“The Forgotten Radical History of the March on Washington”). The entire speech was an ascending oratory that still speaks volumes today just as it did fifty plus years ago. The speech commanded social and racial neutrality, and looked to a desegregated society. The main idea behind Dr. King’s famous speech was very simple; equality for all mankind was necessary for the future. It was 1963 but yet Dr. King was so far down the line in terms of the next generation and what was needed for the nation and all people of different backgrounds, cultures, and ethnicities. He had the formula; the very last portion of the speech summed it all up when he said: “This is our hope. This is the faith that I go back to the South with. With this faith we will be able to hew out of the mountain of despair, a stone of hope. With this faith we will be able to transform the jangling discords...
Words: 1839 - Pages: 8
...In early 1965, Martin Luther King Jr.’s Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) made Selma, Alabama, the focus of its efforts to register black voters in the South. That March, protesters attempting to march from Selma to the state capital of Montgomery were met with violent resistance by state and local authorities. As the world watched, the protesters (under the protection of federalized National Guard troops) finally achieved their goal, walking around the clock for three days to reach Montgomery. The historic march, and King’s participation in it, greatly helped raise awareness of the difficulty faced by black voters in the South, and the need for a Voting Rights Act, passed later that year.Even after the Civil Rights Act of 1964 forbade discrimination in voting on the basis of race, efforts by civil rights organizations such as the Southern Christian Leadership Council (SCLC) and the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) to register black voters met with fierce resistance in southern states such as Alabama. In early 1965, Martin Luther King Jr. and SCLC decided to make Selma, located in Dallas County, Alabama, the focus of a voter registration campaign. Alabama Governor George Wallace was a notorious opponent of desegregation, and the local county sheriff in Dallas County had led a steadfast opposition to black voter registration drives. As a result, only 2 percent of Selma’s eligible black voters (300 out of 15,000) had managed to register.King had won...
Words: 594 - Pages: 3
...Minelik Sisay 11/13/12 Professor Greene Pettus Bridge as a Place of Memory Selma, Alabama became the focus of the Civil Rights Movement as activists, such as John Lewis and Dr. King, worked to register black voters. Martin Luther King’s voter registration movement worked on a city-by-city approach, gathering national attention. Other civil rights leaders, such as John Lewis and William Hosea, worked more locally in the most dangerous areas of the Deep South for African-Americans. While both worked to register voters, King’s method is better characterized as an attempt to change the public discourse about race in this country, while John Lewis’ method attempted to change public action. Led by John Lewis and William Hosea, “Bloody Sunday” occurred as a result of the fight for freedom and equality. In order to make some headway against centuries of legally sanctioned racism and discrimination, the United States government began to promote and support the Civil Rights Movement. The relatively scarce attention the march in US history textbooks is quite disappointing in a sense that it illustrates an event that is not fully depicted. The battle fought on the bridge, in a way, is being fought till this day. Voter registration laws, though not as harsh as Jim Crow literacy tests, create barriers that restrict minorities from having the opportunity to vote. By surveying a few of the patterns of inequality that still prevail in many sectors of American society, this essay will explore...
Words: 2180 - Pages: 9
...Final Project: Time Capsule Jack B. Gilmore Kaplan University Final Project: Time Capsule 4/18/2325—I received a phone call this morning, requesting my presence at the site of an archeological dig. I was informed that what appeared to be an intact “time capsule” with a “1/1/1970” date-stamp was found in the rubble of Old Washington D.C. America was a different place then—people were free to eat red meat, the internal combustion engine was everywhere, and procreation was not regulated, to name just a few of the now seemingly barbaric practices that were commonplace in that America. Knowing this, the contents of this capsule should hopefully shed some light on our ancestors, and the information contained within will most certainly be invaluable to historians studying the era of the 1960’s. Item #1: An intact and remarkably well preserved newspaper dated August 8, 1964 with the headline “Johnson Declares War!” The paper is of course referring to President Lyndon B. Johnson and his declaration of war on Vietnam with the Tonkin Gulf Resolution (Chambers, 2000). While the United States had been gradually entering into war with Vietnam for approximately a decade by this point (Britannica.com, 2013), it was the incidents in the Tonkin Gulf and Johnson’s resolution immediately following that solidified the war in America’s psyche. Before this, the Vietnam conflict was simply just that—a “minor conflict” to the majority of America, and as this was a far more preferable way...
Words: 2188 - Pages: 9
...oldest nominee in history of the Best Actress category. This film gives some great examples of patience,kindness ,dedication, racism , prejudice and dignity in a very difficult time and situation. Driving Miss Daisy is a comedy-drama film that came from Alfred Urhy’s play Driving Miss Daisy. Opening weekend (17 December 1989) Driving Miss Daisy brought in $73.745 the movie grossed $145,793,296. Some of the filming locations were Atlanta, Georgia,Decatur ,Georgia and Douglasville ,Georgia. Overcoming racial prejudice is an important theme in the movie along with growing older, and the importance of friendship. You are also Reminded of the situation in the south, During the time of the civil rights movement. The years 1948-1973 had some of the most important developments in the civil rights movement. Making Driving Miss Daisy was a difficult challenge , one reason was no one was investing in it because everyone kept saying no one could not direct it well enough to entertain an audience for 100 minutes. Driving Miss Daisy not only became a box office success, it also had a global audience appeal. Driving...
Words: 722 - Pages: 3
...RHETORICAL ANALYSIS 1 Rhetorical Analysis of “I Have Dream” Speech Alfonso Gonzalez Itt Technical Institute Instructor Deana Schoneberg EN 1320 RHETORICAL ANALYSIS 2 The main point of Dr. Kings speech was that an injustice had been done to the black people. They were promised freedom from the emancipation proclamation and up to that point they still were not free. They were segregated and treated like second class citizens. Were they suppose to sit down and let white men at that time humiliate them, beat them, bomb their houses, and strip them of human dignity? No! Dr. King was preaching to all who listened, that now was the time to metaphorically cash this check, a check that will give them upon demand the riches of freedom and the security of justice. But to do this, not with violence or retaliation, “we must forever conduct our struggle on the high plane of dignity and discipline. We must not allow our creative protest to degenerate into physical violence.” (Carson, 1998, p225) This would be the way Dr. King would want to see his dream played out, with non -violence. Were all his efforts done in vain? On August 28, 1963, The March on Washington was organized by Bayard Rustin and led by union leader A. Philip Randolph. The backdrop ironically took place on the steps...
Words: 1127 - Pages: 5
...the impact and influence they both have had on society. These two famous thinkers have contributed and positively affected many lives past and present. Both famous thinkers had to overcome hardships and use their creative minds to deal with challenges, obstacles, and issues. These two have changed and created their own history and legacy, which will be written in history books for the world to see. Contributions to Society Born Michael King Jr. in 1929, in Atlanta, Georgia, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was the most recognized civil rights leader in history. His father was Baptist minister and raised him to follow in his footsteps as a minister as well. During the civil rights movement Dr. King headed a crusade to help Americans to gain the same human rights, despite their origin or skin color. Dr. King had numerous contributions to society and is remembered for his non-violent movement. Dr. King was honored most for his heroic civil rights activism in the United States as well as a prophet of peace and justice in a world torn by Vietnam. Dr. King led the fight in 1956 to desegregate the bus lines in Montgomery, Alabama. The Southern Christian Leadership Conference appointed him the head position, which was to create racial equality throughout the country using non- violence. Dr. King was most famous for the march on Washington in 1963, where he gave his famous “I Have a Dream” speech (Kersey, 2012) In 1964 Dr. King was the youngest to win the Nobel Peace Prize at the age of...
Words: 1581 - Pages: 7
...Martin Luther King, Jr. 1929-1968 Cynthia Clayton PSY/300 February 24, 2014 Geraldine Juchniewicz Martin Luther King, Jr. “Martin Luther King Jr. was born on January 15, 1929, in Atlanta, Georgia. King, both a Baptist minister and civil-rights activist, had a seismic impact on race relations in the United States, beginning in the mid-1950s.”Martin Luther King (2014). Among many efforts, King headed the Civil Rights Movement in the United States. According to Martin Luther King Jr (2014), “Through his activism, he played a pivotal role in ending the legal segregation of African-American citizens in the South and other areas of the nation, as well as the creation of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965.” According to Martin Luther King, Jr (2014), “King was the youngest to receive the Nobel Peace Prize in 1964, among several other honors. King was assassinated in April 1968, and continues to be remembered as one of the most lauded African-American leaders in history, often referenced by his 1963 speech,” "I Have a Dream." In his young days Martin family grew up in a poor farming community, they grew up in a secured and loving environment where faith was an important part of their daily lives. His father tried to protect his children from racism but failed. Martin tried to follow in his father’s footsteps but often rebelled during his adolescence years, Martin questioned his faith and in his...
Words: 1134 - Pages: 5
...the loss of the right to vote for inmates who are incarcerated. Prisoners are citizens too. They may have committed a felony, but they are still citizens of their home country. Some people think prisoners should not have the right to vote, but many others think they should. About two million people in U.S. are in prison. All those people do not get to cast a vote in the election. They are not able to decide who runs the country they live in. Imagine not being able to have a say in our country. We are a democracy, which means everyone has the right to vote in our government. Prisoners should be allowed to vote because they still are citizens and still have rights. Prisoners should be able to vote and influence the outcome of an election . If all the prisoners were allowed to vote it may have an impact on the election. Prisoners want the chance to vote. As of February 2011 the United States was in the lead of number of prisoners with 2,019,234. Prisoners do not have a say in the government. In New York people who are on parole cannot vote. As of 2004 thirty-five states forbid people who have just been released from prison to vote. In the constitution it states everyone is given the right to vote. Amendment 15 is the voting rights act. In the first section of this amendment, it states the right to vote cannot be taken away from people based on their color, race, or what has happened previously in their life. That amendment is not being applied to the rights of prisoners. Only...
Words: 1915 - Pages: 8
...voluntarily chosen, but family togetherness will still be the end result. Judith Levine is also very positive towards the idea of simple living. She has written the book ‘Not Buying It: My Year Without Shopping’, in which she describes how she and her partner did not buy anything unnecessary for a year. In the interview she explains how thinking about ones choices also is a part of simple living, for instance instead of buying biodiesel one can buy biofuel made from plan cellulose. Judith Levine introduces that there is a positive side effect of simple living. That “there are consequences to our acts, and those consequences are environmental degradation.” Derrick Jensen is not a supporter of simple living, comments on this. He claims that personal change does not equal political change. He gives irrelevant examples of for instance how personal actions haven’t changed the Voting Rights...
Words: 836 - Pages: 4
...progressed. Many states in the south implemented rules such as a literacy tests, civics tests, poll taxes, grandfather clauses, and violence. Many colored people’s voting rights were opressed up until 1965 when the Voting Rights Act was passed. Despite the rights guaranteed by the 14th amendment, the racial discrimination going on at polls did not begin to change until 1965 when the Voting Rights Act was passed. A key force in this process were the multiple protests and...
Words: 764 - Pages: 4
...became evident as the national government began to respond to protests held by groups of African Americans seeking equal rights. Since the ratification of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and Voting Rights Act of 1965 signaled significant development, members of society often came to the conclusion that racial equality had been achieved. However, in reality, society was far from establishing this equality. Though, in writing, discrimination against individuals based on color could no longer take place, states still found ways to subtly put specific groups at a disadvantage. Even today, over half a century later, states continue to treat different groups of individuals unequally based on...
Words: 1641 - Pages: 7
