By Black Star News
Photos: LDF\YouTube Screenshots
On this day, in 1965, the Voting Rights Act was signed into law by President Lyndon B. Johnson. The landmark legislation outlined voter protections that had previously been regularly denied to African Americans.
The Voting Rights Act was one of the most important victories of the Civil Rights Movement as it outlawed racist discriminatory actions that were faced by Black people in America.
Legal Defense Fund (LDF) President and Director-Counsel Janai Nelson issued the following statement, on this historic anniversary:
“Our multi-racial democracy is only 60 years old — and the Voting Rights Act of 1965 is its birth certificate. The history-making law was the result of tenacious and valiant advocacy, finally allowing Black people to engage in America’s political process as full citizens after enduring horrific violence and racist election practices for decades.
“Voting is our foundational right. When that right is infringed upon, our democracy is exponentially weakened. Today, we again find ourselves at a moment where Black people’s political power is under severe threat, and the legitimacy of our democracy is undermined as a result. In recent years, the legislative intent of the VRA was severely undercut by two Supreme Court decisions, rendering the law unable to fully protect those it was designed to empower. When coupled with the passage of regressive voting rights laws at the state level, it’s abundantly clear that American democracy is in crisis. States with a history of race discrimination in voting are continuing to suppress the votes of our country’s most marginalized groups in a concerted effort to consolidate power and further entrench white supremacy with sanction from a majority in Congress that refuses to act.
“On this important anniversary, we must be clear about the unbridled attacks on the right to vote and demand that Congress pass the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act.
“If we are to continue the pursuit of the multiracial democracy that the VRA set in motion 60 years ago and if we are to honor our republican form of government founded on representation by the people, we must be unwavering in our commitment to fulfill the promise of Selma, refuse to cede any further ground, and mobilize in support of equal voting rights and fair elections.”
Editor’s Note: Americans (not just African Americans) should ponder the importance of voting rights as the Trump White House, and Texas Republicans, are openly engaged in actions to rig elections in their favor, and suppress the will of voters, as the 2026 Mid-Term Elections approach.
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