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VOTING RIGHTS ACT OF 1965
White men, age 21 and older, who owned property were given the right to vote in 1776.
The 15th Amendment to the Constitution removed racial barriers to voting in 1870, but states continued to practice voter discrimination and continued to deny Black voters a chance to participate in elections.
The right to vote was extended to white women in 1920.
It wasn't until 1965, after years of intimidation, murders, and advocacy that the path to the voting booth was cleared for Black people with the federal Voting Rights Act of 1965.
THE RIGHT TO VOTE, REGARDLESS OF RACE
Just eight days after Martin Luther King, Jr. led a peaceful civil rights march in Selma, Alabama, President Lyndon B. Johnson announced his intention to pass a federal Voting Rights Act to ensure that no federal, state, or local government could in any way impede people from voting because of their race or ethnicity. He signed the Voting Rights Act into law later that year, banning racial discriminatory practices in voting, including literacy tests.
PROVISIONS OF THE VOTING RIGHTS ACT
Originally, legislators hoped that within five years of its passage, the issues surrounding the 1965 Voting Rights Act would be resolved and there would be no further need for its enforcement-related provisions. They were wrong. Congress had to extend these provisions in 1970, 1975, 1982 and most recently in 2007, this time for 25 years.
Enforcement measures included:
- Requirements for certain jurisdictions with a history of disenfranchising voters to obtain approval or "preclearance" from the U.S. Department of Justice or the U.S/ District Court in D.C. before they can make any changes to voting practices or procedures. They must prove that the proposed change does not denying or infringe on the right to vote on account of race or color.
- Requirements for certain jurisdictions to provide language assistance to voters in communities where there is a concentration of citizens who do aren't proficient in English to actively participate in the electoral process. This provision was added to the Voting Rights Act in 1975.
- Federal election examiners and observers for certain jurisdictions where there is evidence of attempts to intimidate minority voters at the polls.
"It is wrong, deadly wrong, to deny any of your fellow Americans the right to vote in this country. There is no issue of states rights or national rights, there is only the struggle for human rights. - President Lyndon B. Johnson (1965)
MOBILIZING THE VOTE IN 2020
Millions of Americans cast their ballots in the November 2020 elections with the belief they can make a difference in this country. We did our job. We waited and the American people have spoken. We pick our leaders — our leaders don't pick their voters. In the midst of a pandemic that's left millions of us grieving our loved ones and wondering how we'll make ends meet, we turned out in record numbers across race and place to cast our votes for new leadership. For the first time in this nation's history, a Black woman is the Vice President of the U.S. When we come together, we come out stronger.
THE FIGHT TO VOTE CONTINUES
HOW IT STARTED
It wasn't until 1965, after years of intimidation, murders, and advocacy that the path to the voting booth was cleared for Black people with the federal Voting Rights Act of 1965. The Act is a bedrock law protecting every American's right to register to vote and cast their ballot. It remains one of the hardest-fought safeguards for Black Americans and other minority groups.
SAFEGUARDING THE RIGHTS OF BLACK AMERICANS AND OTHER MINORITIES
The Voting Rights Act of 1965 remains one of the hardest-fought safeguards for Black Americans and other minority groups as it relates to voting. The power, agency, and access to vote is a civil right for all. The most recent attempt to strengthen the right to vote is the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act. Introduced in Congress in early 2019, the proposed bill was renamed following the passing of civil rights activist and long-time House of Representatives member, John R. Lewis (D-GA).
VOTING RIGHTS
Voting is fundamental to U.S. democracy, and the Voting Rights Act of 1965 is a bedrock law protecting every American's right to register to vote and cast their ballot. The Voting Rights Act remains one of the hardest-fought safeguards for Black Americans and other minority groups. Yet today, threats to fair, safe elections persist. Attempts to restore the Act to its fullest protections include the John Lewis Voting Rights Act, introduced in early 2019.
BLACK VOICES CHANGE LIVES
Together, we created an unprecedented civic engagement effort like no other — despite a pandemic, an economic crisis, and so many attempts to stop us — to vote for our community and the things we care about, and to make life better for all of us.
KNOW YOUR RIGHTS
THE 411 ON THE FIVE-O
While we must support effective law enforcement, we must also exercise our constitutional rights to ensure law enforcement works as it should – to protect all Americans regardless of race or ethnicity. This guide offers helpful suggestions on how to interact with law enforcement to reduce the probability of conflict.
- If you are approached by the police...
- Do ask for a lawyer immediately upon being arrested or being placed into custody.
- Do stay calm and keep your emotions from getting the best of you. Be courteous even if the police officer is not. You will only give the officers more ammunition against you if you begin yelling, arguing or refusing reasonable directives.
- Do carry identification at all times and be prepared to produce it.
- Do keep your hands where the police officer can see them.
- Do take photographs, if you are injured, and seek medical attention as soon as possible.
- Do remember the officer's name and badge number as well as any witness information. Write down everything you remember about the encounter as soon as possible.
- Don't run.
- Don't touch the police officer.
- Don't make any statements about the incident without first having spoken to an attorney. Reiterate your right to remain silent, if necessary.
- If you're in your car...
- Upon request, present your driver's license, registration and proof of insurance.
- If you are suspected of drunk driving, and refuse to take a sobriety test the police may seize your driver's license.
- You have the right not to consent to a search of your vehicle.
- If the police state they have probable cause, they may begin to search your car without your consent. Do not interfere but clearly state your lack of consent.
- If you are given a ticket, sign it. You can always fight the case in court later.
- If you're on the street...
- A police officer may briefly stop you to ask identifying questions.
- You are not required to answer any questions but failing to truthfully answer simple ones will make the police suspicious.
- If requested, show your identification.
- You are not required to consent to a search of yourself or your property.
- If police have reasonable suspicion that you have a weapon or illegal substance, they may do a "pat-down" to check. Don't resist.
- If you feel you have been unlawfully detained, remember the officer's badge number and all identifying information. Use your cell phone or other technology to record/photograph the interaction, if you can do so safely.
- If you're in your home...
- Absent a warrant or emergency circumstances, the police do not have the right to enter your home. If the police knock at your door, you have the right to deny them entrance.
- If the police say they have a warrant, ask to see it before letting them enter your home.
- If you are arrested in your home, the police can search you and the area around you, which usually means the room.
- If you are arrested...
- Immediately CLEARLY state your refusal to speak to the police and make a request for an attorney. Do not make any statements other than giving your name and address. You have the right to a court appointed attorney if you cannot afford one.
- If you are under 18 years old, ask for your parents to be contacted immediately.
- After you are arrested, you must be given the opportunity to make a local phone call. Know beforehand who you will call in a situation like this and contact them. The police may not listen in on this phone call.
- You must be taken before a judge or magistrate within a day after being arrested.
- If you are required to post bail after being arrested, you may request to have your bail lowered.
- Do not make any decisions until you have spoken with your attorney. Do not allow the police to trick you into saying anything. Remember, the police can lie to get you to confess to a crime.