LiberationPrimary SourceFBA Grio Verified Source

Voting Rights Act of 1965

Name: The Color of Law
Author: Richard Rothstein

United States Congress

1965

Liberation

3-Minute Summary

Prohibited discriminatory voting practices that had disenfranchised Black voters for nearly a century. Section 5 required jurisdictions with histories of discrimination to obtain federal preclearance before changing voting laws — a provision gutted by the Supreme Court in 2013.

Why It Matters

The Voting Rights Act restored what the 15th Amendment had promised in 1870. Its partial dismantling in Shelby County v. Holder (2013) demonstrates that civil rights gains are not permanent without continued vigilance.

Important Passages

'No voting qualification or prerequisite to voting, or standard, practice, or procedure shall be imposed or applied by any State or political subdivision to deny or abridge the right of any citizen of the United States to vote on account of race or color.'

Where to Read

Congress.gov (free)

Verified: National Archives, Congress.gov

Key People

Lyndon B. Johnson

John Lewis

Fannie Lou Hamer

Selma marchers

Key Policies & Events

Section 5 preclearanceLiteracy test banFederal examinersShelby County v. Holder (2013)

Related FBA Leaders

John Lewis Fannie Lou Hamer

The Color of Law

Richard Rothstein

2017

Economics

3-Minute Summary

Rothstein documents how federal, state, and local governments deliberately created residential segregation through explicit policy — FHA redlining, restrictive covenants, public housing placement, and urban renewal — rather than through private prejudice alone.

Why It Matters

Rothstein's central argument is that residential segregation was de jure, not de facto — created by government action, not private choice. This distinction matters enormously for reparative policy: if government created the harm, government has an obligation to remedy it.

Important Passages

'Residential segregation in America was not the unintended consequence of neutral policies. It was the explicit, racially motivated policy of the federal government.'

Where to Read

Available at public libraries and online booksellers

Key People

Richard Rothstein

Key Policies & Events

FHA redliningRestrictive covenantsUrban renewalPublic housing sitingGI Bill implementation

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