January 1, 1970

The American Civil Rights Movement of the 1950s increased pressure on the government to protect all voting rights. But despite the Civil Rights Acts of 1960 and 1964 and the introduction of civil rights protections, most forms of voting discrimination weren’t prohibited. Following the 1964 elections, civil rights organizations, led by Martin Luther King Jr and Malcom X, pushed for federal action to protect the voting rights of racial minorities, culminating in protests in Selma, Alabama, where African-American voter registration efforts were vigorously resisted.

The film, Selma, focuses on the epic fifty-four-mile civil rights marches from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama, which played a significant role in persuading President Johnson to introduce the Voting Rights Act. The pivotal marches were marked by brutal police violence against the peaceful protesters.

Finally, the Voting Rights Act of 1965, ensured that by the end of 1966 only four out of the thirteen Southern states had fewer than fifty per cent of African Americans registered to vote.

See the Voting Rights Act here.