Voting Rights Act of 1965

Molly Young  |   OW Contributor
Aug 30 2012

New state laws make it tougher for some groups at the polls

In the 2008 presidential election, large numbers of voters that had not previously made strong showings at the polls came out to cast their ballots. African Americans, Latinos, women and students showed up in record numbers. But since 2011, a number of states have aggressively pursued and passed new voter-identification laws, also called voter-suppression laws, which have created new barriers that mainly target these groups and may keep a large number of voting-eligible citizens away from the polls.

Shae Collins  |   OW College Intern
May 24 2012

Section 5 still necessary to protect minority voters

The United States Court of Appeals recently upheld the constitutionality of Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act of 1965. Section 5, known as the “preclearance provision,” requires that areas with a history of voting discrimination obtain federal permission from the U.S. Department of Justice or the Washington, D.C. District Court before changing any voting practices and procedures. Section 5 ensures that states’ changes in voting procedures in these areas are free from discrimination.

Mar 15 2012

Protest laws that harass immigrants

This week’s 47th commemoration of the Bloody Sunday March of 1965 marks a new phase in the Civil Rights Movement. It represents a turning point for people from all backgrounds, who are joining together, not only to remember our shared past, but also to fight for a shared future. It’s a moment of recognition from all sides that, though our nation has progressed since 1965, we are not yet finished with the struggle to include everyone in the fullness that American life has to offer.

Cynthia E. Griffin-  |   OW Managing Editor
Jul 21 2011

But some caution that maps could change

The Citizens Redistricting Committee (CRC) released its latest visualization map detailing what proposed congressional and state political boundaries could look like.

Mar 3 2011

Civil rights protesters

On March 7, 1965, 600 civil rights protesters took to Route 80 in Selma, Ala., on a historical, peaceful march for social freedom and justice. Just three weeks prior to the march, a state trooper shot and killed Jimmie Lee Jackson who was protecting his mother during a civil rights demonstration. This also fueled the march.

Across Black America

Here’s a look at African American people and issues making headlines throughout the country.
 

Alabama
Freeman A. Hrabowski, president of the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, will address the annual African American Business Council luncheon on June 28. Hrabowski, who is chairman of President Barack Obama’s Advisory Commission on Education Excellence for African Americans, has a national reputation for his work studying the performance of minority students in math and science. Hrabowski, named one of the 10 best college presidents in the country by Time magazine, was a child leader in the Civil Rights Movement in Birmingham in the 1960s.
 

Arkansas
The Liberty Counsel filed a motion and a brief in United States District Court for the Eastern District of Arkansas seeking to intervene on behalf of a Concepts of Life crisis pregnancy center to defend against a suit filed by the American Civil Liberties Union and the Center for Reproductive Rights. The groups seek to impose a permanent injunction before the Human Heartbeat Protection Act goes into effect July 18. Liberty Counsel also filed a brief opposing the ACLU’s request for an injunction. The “Heartbeat” bill states that when a woman seeks an abortion at or after the 12th week, doctors must test for a fetal heartbeat before an abortion is performed and inform the pregnant mother that the child in her womb has a heartbeat. If a heartbeat is detected, a woman cannot have an abortion, except in cases of rape, incest, and if a mother’s life is in danger. “As we promised when the legislation was introduced, Liberty Counsel will defend this law without reservation for the people of Arkansas, born and pre-born,” said Matt Staver, founder and chairman of Liberty Counsel. “No right is more foundational than the right to life. Without life, all other rights are irrelevant,” concluded Staver.