civil rights movement selma voting rights movement
TRANSCRIPT
Civil Rights Act of 1964
Ended ALL legal discrimination based on race, colour, religion, sex, or national origin
The Act was signed into law by President Lyndon B. Johnson on July 2, 1964
Selma Voting Rights Movement (1965)
More than half the population of Dallas County were black; only 1% were registered to vote
Registrar was only open twice a month for a short period
Those trying to register were still subject to tests that might disqualify them from registering
The Voting Rights Act of 1965
No voting qualification, prerequisite to voting, or standard, practice or procedure shall be used to deny the right of any citizen of the United States to vote on account of race or color.
The court will appoint federal examiners to enforce the guarantees of the 15th Amendment.
No “test” (e.g., literacy or civics) or “device” (e.g., grandfather clause) may be used as prerequisites for voting.
Federal examiners were sent to States that disenfranchised black voters to make sure the Act was obeyed.
Poll taxes became illegal.
States with Voting Restrictions
If they do not have a government-issued photo identification card.
Eleven percent of Americans do not have a photo ID. Many of them are African American, Latino, young and low-income potential voters.
If they do not have access to the documents necessary to take advantage of voter registration opportunities.
Some states require proof of citizenship upon registration, while others place restrictions on registration drives or same-day registration.
States with Voting Restrictions
If they cannot vote the day of the election and need to vote early.
Weekend and evening hours for early voting have been cut back, despite these times being convenient for many minority voters.
If they have had a past conviction.
People with past convictions will find it more difficult to restore their voting rights in some states under new restrictions.
Fair Elections Act
Restrictions on the Chief Electoral Officer
Would end programs to promote voter turn-out
Elimination of Vouching
Vouching is meant to allow someone with proper identification to vouch for somebody that lives in the same polling area
120,000 voters used vouching last election
There is no record of people using vouching to engage in voter fraud
reflection
With continued discrimination and institutionalized racism in areas such as continued voter disenfranchisement, a widening gap between the rich and the
poor, and police profiling (which all disproportionately affects minority
groups), would you say that that the non-violent Civil Rights Movement was a
success??