Voting Rights Act Marks 60 Years Amid Renewed Legal Battles

Sixty years after President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the landmark Voting Rights Act (VRA) in 1965, its legacy of expanding Black voter participation remains profound but increasingly imperiled. The Act dramatically increased Black voter registration in the South, particularly in Mississippi and Alabama, despite violent opposition from segregationists, and helped transform the political landscape by enabling greater Black political leadership. Key moments like the violent “Bloody Sunday” march across Selma's Edmund Pettus Bridge galvanized national support for the law. However, recent Supreme Court decisions, including the 2013 Shelby County v. Holder ruling, have weakened federal oversight and protections, leading to restrictive voting laws and voter suppression efforts disproportionately affecting Black, Latino, elderly, and young voters. Advocates such as Maya Wiley and U.S. senators like Dick Durbin and Raphael Warnock continue to push for the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act to restore and strengthen voting rights protections amid political opposition. The ongoing struggle reflects both the historic sacrifices made by civil rights activists and the continuing fight to safeguard equitable access to the ballot.