President Lyndon Johnson signs the Voting Rights Act, banning literacy tests and authorizing federal oversight of elections in discriminating jurisdictions.
At a Glance
- Date
- 6 August 1965
- Location
- Washington, D.C.
- Key people
- Lyndon B. Johnson, Martin Luther King Jr.
- Category
- Law & Justice
- Source
- Voting Rights Act of 1965, Pub. L. 89-110 · National Archives
What It Meant Then
It produced the largest expansion of Black voting since Reconstruction.
What It Means Now
Key provisions were weakened by the Supreme Court's 2013 Shelby County ruling, fueling ongoing voting-rights fights.
Cite this page
- MLA
- “The Voting Rights Act Is Signed.” Black-History.com, 30 Sept. 2026, https://black-history.com/on-this-day/the-voting-rights-act-is-signed/.
- APA
- Black-History.com Editors. (2026, September 30). The Voting Rights Act Is Signed. Black-History.com. https://black-history.com/on-this-day/the-voting-rights-act-is-signed/
- Chicago
- Black-History.com Editors. “The Voting Rights Act Is Signed.” Black-History.com. September 30, 2026. https://black-history.com/on-this-day/the-voting-rights-act-is-signed/.
Editorial Note
By the Black-History.com editors. Last reviewed 30 September 2026. To suggest a primary source or a correction, write to editors@black-history.com or use our corrections form.