The Voting Rights Act is a historic civil rights law that is meant to ensure that the right to vote is not denied on account of race or color.

Civil Rights Act of 1866 grants citizenship, but not the right to vote to all native-born Americans.

1869 Fifteenth Amendment passes

Congress passes the Fifteenth Amendment, giving African American men the right to vote.

1965 The Voting Rights Act is signed into law

President Lyndon B. Johnson signs the Voting Rights Act into law, permanently barring barriers to political participation by racial and ethnic minorities, prohibiting any election practice that denies the right to vote on account of race, and requiring jurisdictions with a history of discrimination in voting to get federal approval for changes in their election laws before they can take effect.

2010-2016

Sources:

https://www.aclu.org/voting-rights-act-major-dates-in-history

https://naacp.org/find-resources/history-explained/legislative-milestones/voting-rights-act-1965