Gutting the VRA ( Voting Rights Act)

VRA Long Title: An act to enforce the Fifteenth Amendment to the Constitution of the United States, and for other purposes.

Enacted by: 89th United States Congress

The Voting Rights Act of 1965 was signed by President Lyndon B. Johnson on August 6, 1965. This act was a landmark piece of legislation in the United States that prohibits discrimination in voting.

Medgar Evers

Fifty years ago on June 12, 1963, Civil Rights activists Medgar Evers was gunned down in the driveway of his Mississippi  home. Evers fought to secure Blacks full access to voting, education, and equality. A year later following his death three young civil  right workers were lynched for registering voters during the famed Freedom Summer.  The deaths of Medger Evers, Andre Goodman, James Cheney, and Mickey Schwerner fueled the Civil Rights Movement to move forward. As the movements continued to gain momentum legislation was passed to affirms African American citizenship.

What has the Supreme Court done to affect this legacy in a negative way? The Supreme Court  struck down the pre-clearance formula ( Section 4) the Court effectively aborted the Section 5 requirement that certain jurisdictions gain federal approval before changing voting procedures. This does not mean that African Americans will not be able to vote, because their right to vote is protected and guaranteed by the Constitution's Fifteenth Amendment. Although without an affirmative right to vote states are free to adopt electoral plans that could compromise this access.


The Lone Star state also known as Texas has previously authorized a controversial set of plans previously blocked by the Department of Justice. Other states such as Georgia, Arizona, South Dakota, South Carolina, and Alabama have similar plans currently pending. This is a slap in the face because " Voter ID Laws" often disenfranchise the elderly, the poor, and people of color specifically Black and Brown. A strategy that will be used to enhance this process is redistricting; redistricting makes it difficult to elect Black candidates  and also places a limit on the number of polling places in highly populated urban areas.





Sources
Ebony Magazine Article: What Does the Supreme Court's Decision Mean for Blacks
Date: June 26, 2013
Author: Dr. Khalilah L. Brown, Associate Professor of Political Science @ Quinnipiac University where she writes about American Politics, Political Psychology, and punishment
Her Blog: kbdphd.blogspot.com