Press Releases

Today, Congressional Black Caucus Chairman G. K. Butterfield (NC-01) released the following statement commemorating the 50th anniversary of the Voting Rights Act, signed into law by President Lyndon B. Johnson on August 6, 1965.

“The Voting Rights Act (VRA) is the most successful piece of civil rights legislation in American history and it changed the political landscape for African Americans.  The VRA was enacted during the height of the civil rights movement and prohibits racial discrimination in voting to ensure all Americans have an equal opportunity to participate in our country’s Democratic process.  

“In the two years following the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling to overturn Section 4 of the VRA in Shelby County v. Holder, voting rights have come under a renewed assault and we continue to see an ongoing persistence of voter discrimination and disenfranchisement in states across our country.  Fifty years since passage of the VRA, it remains clear that the struggle for the right to vote is not over.  Today, it’s more imperative than ever that Congress pass a comprehensive legislative proposal that restores the Voting Rights Act and improves our nation’s voting system in a way that guarantees access to the ballot box and protects the fundamental right to vote for every American once and for all.” 

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Since its establishment in 1971, Members of the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) have joined together to empower America’s neglected citizens and address their legislative concerns.  For more than 40 years, the CBC has consistently been the voice for people of color and vulnerable communities in Congress and has been committed to utilizing the full Constitutional power and statutory authority of the United States government to ensure that all U.S. citizens have an opportunity to achieve the American Dream.  To learn more about the Congressional Black Caucus, visit http://cbc-butterfield.house.gov.

Media inquiries: Candace L. Randle at (202) 593-1331 or Candace.Randle@mail.house.gov