The Voting Rights Act Of 1965 Case Analysis

In America, there has always been a constant battle amongst the majority and the minorities.The majorities, the whites, of the U.S. has always been looking down upon the minorities of the nation. They were constantly looking for new ways to avert minorities from getting representation in America. But as Black activism increased and the economy required more labor needs, the federal government had to act in order to keep the nation under control. Finally, in 1965 two acts were passed in order to fulfill the demands of the minorities. The Voting Rights Act of 1965 and the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965 were two legislations that sought to eradicate racial discrimination by providing political power and representation to the minorities.

Activists like Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. led marches and speeches that addressed this unfair racial discrimination. Additionally, violence against African Americans in Southern states increased. Therefore, the President at that time, Lyndon B. Johnson, saw this as a national problem and signed the Voting Rights Act of 1965. It was originally for Southern states and only for five years, but it eventually got renewed.
Through this legislation, minorities, especially African Americans, were able to vote freely. Racial discrimination diminished away as the decades passed by. But racial discrimination did not fully disappear. In the Supreme Court case Shelby v. Holder (2013), Section IV(b) of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 has been deemed unconstitutional because it is “based on 40 year-old facts” (Lecture September 29). Since the ruling, Supreme Court cases, such as Evenwel v. Abbott (2015-2016) and North Carolina N.A.A.C.P. v. McCrory (2013-2014), has been stirring up causing a change on voting in America.
The Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965 was established to reduce racial exclusions in America. The key provisions to this legislation was “to have family reunification, to meet the labor needs, and to have a more diverse nation” (Lecture, October 1)

Although it was successful, new problems arose preventing the U.S. to achieve full eradication of racial discrimination. The Voting Rights Act of 1965 was going great until the Supreme Court case Shelby v. Holder, causing the Voting Rights Act to loose its original powers. Likewise, The Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965 was going great until the 9/11 incident, where immigration became a national security. Overall, both of the legislation were created to remove racial discrimination in this nation. It did not fully abolish racial discrimination, but it allowed the U.S. to become racially unbiased to a certain extent, with the future having more to