Conclusion
"For a nation with a miserable record on this [Voting Rights] issue, with slavery itself protected in the constitution, only to be followed by the separate but equal fraud, we truly changed as a result of these laws. It worked and we are far better off."
- Email Interview, Walter Mondale, Former Vice President, and Former Senator, November 23, 2012
- Email Interview, Walter Mondale, Former Vice President, and Former Senator, November 23, 2012
Source: Sing for Freedom, Smithsonian Museum
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"When you vote, you have a voice and your voice has to be heard... It included large numbers of people in the decision making process that had been left out." - Live interview, Ambassador Andrew Young, Civil Rights Leader, LBJ Library, Austin, January 31, 2013 |
Almost a half-century later, the VRA continues to be a guiding force in American politics. This pivotal turning point in legislative history ensured that discriminatory practices such as literacy tests and other barriers could no longer hinder minority voters. The passage of the VRA altered the political wind by enabling the federal government to enforce equality in the electoral process. The resulting increase in minority voting vaulted many talented African-American politicians into positions of power. The rise of racial coalitions has amplified minority voices formerly suppressed. However, new challenges to the Voting Rights Act arise every election cycle.
We, in our turn, can honor the legacy of those who fought to enfranchise minorities, by valuing and exercising the right to vote.
We, in our turn, can honor the legacy of those who fought to enfranchise minorities, by valuing and exercising the right to vote.