54 - Voting Rights Act of 1965
As organizations have been posting things to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the Nineteenth Amendment, there are many comments noting that this did only benefit white women. In light of the protests this week, it is an ideal time for me to educate myself on why this is the case. And the Voting Rights Act of 1965 is at the core of this. The Nineteenth Amendment allowed women to vote. The wording of the order fell prey to the current social issues of not addressing “all” women. This wording left many women from the polling booths. Only white women and a small number of northern states that already allowed women of race to vote in 1920. On August 6, 1965, President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the Voting Rights Act (VRA) of 1965 into law. This allowed millions of people, men and women, to register to vote. State by state laws could no longer disenfranchise African Americans to vote, typically done with poll taxes, literacy tests, and violence at polling stations. States like ...