b'WORD OF GODPOLITICSUse Your Gifts Remembering Big Change:the 1965 Voting Rights ActBy Mary Lu SaddorisO hmydearpreciousone,give yourself unto me. Do not hold back. I have placed many gifts and talents in you. I desire to use you inmykingdom.Yourgiftingswill blessandencouragemanyinthe body. I desire to use you in big and small ways. Do not shrink back. For only I know the plans that I have planned for you. My plans are not meant to hurt or to harm you. But my plans will cause you to prosper and grow so very strong in only me.Hear and yield to my voice call-ing to you in this midnight hour. I desire to use you this very day inMary Lu Saddorismy kingdom. Though there is much darknessallaroundyou,knowI AMcausingmylighttoshinesoof the darkness into my light. Dear very bright and pierce this presentone, go forth now as the time is soRev. Martin Luther King, Jr. shaking hands with President Lyndon Johnson darkness. very short. There are so many whoat the signing of the Voting Rights Act in 1965Mylightwilldrawmanyoutofare lost and dying. Do not hesitate,By Heather Gray / Justice Initiative effective national voting rights legisla-thisconsumingdarkness.Iwillmy child. Go forth now in my name. tion. The combination of public revul-bring them close by you. Child, tell them of my love for them. You willMany will hear and receive me asD uringthis2020electionthereissiontotheviolenceandJohnson\'s their Lord and Savior. I will forgiveinvariably commentary about thepolitical skills stimulated Congress to pray for them and bring them outthem of all their sins. I will receive1965 Voting Rights Act which, as notedpass the voting rights bill on August themasmychildren.Theywillin the article below, "was the most sig- 5, 1965.dwell with me, in my heavenly homenificant statutory change in the rela- Thelegislation,whichPresident forever. tionship between the Federal and stateJohnson signed into law the next day, Tell them the truth of my Word.governments since the Reconstructionoutlawedliteracytestsandprovided period following the Civil War," in the Dear one, go forthMy Word will bring healing and res- United States. The article is from thefor the appointment of Federal examin-toration to all who receive my Word.USNationalArchiveswhichoffersaers (with the power to register qualified citizens to vote) in those jurisdictions now as the timeDearone,walkinholyobediencebriefcommentaryabouttheVotingthat were "covered" according to a for-toonlyme. Turnoff all thenoisyRights Act and its consequences.mula provided in the statute. In addi-is so very short.distractions and hear only my voiceBelowthearticleabouttheVotingtion, Section 5 of the act required cov-speakingtoyou.ListentomemyRightsActisthetelegramthatered jurisdictions to obtain "preclear-child.There are so manyKnow that my love for you is nowPresidentLyndonJohnsonaskedtoance"fromeithertheDistrictCourt be sent to leaders in the civil rights,for the District of Columbia or the U.S. who are lost andand forever. I AM giving you muchand other organizations, to attend theAttorneyGeneralforanynewvoting strength and courage to go forth insigning of the 1965 Voting Rights Actpracticesandprocedures.Section2, dying. Do notmy name. Know you are not alone.at the White House on August 6, 1965.whichcloselyfollowedthelanguage I AM with you. Trust me child thatThose invited included Martin Lutherofthe15thamendment,applieda IAMabletodoexceedinglyand hesitate, my child. abundantlywellforyoueachandKing,RoyWilkins,BayardRustin,nationwideprohibitionofthedenial RamseyClark,JohnLewis,Whitneyor abridgment of the right to vote on everyday.Trustinonlyme.PickYoung, Walter Fauntroy, Roy Reutheraccountofraceorcolor.Theuseof up your feet and begin to go forth inand many others as you will see below. polltaxesinnationalelectionshad my name. My dear, dear, precious,beenabolishedbythe24thamend-precious child. Idiscoveredthistelegramonthement(1964)totheConstitution;the The Martin Luther King, Jr. ResearchVoting Rights Act directed the Attorney andEducationInstitutewebsiteatGeneraltochallengetheuseofpoll StanfordUniversity.Asalways,Iamtaxesinstateandlocalelections. soappreciativeofInstitute\'sexcel- InHarperv.VirginiaStateBoardof lent compilation of documents on Dr.Elections,383U.S.663(1966),the King\'sleadershipandthecivilrightsSupreme Court held Virginia\'s poll tax movement overall. to be unconstitutional under the 14th Voting Rights Act (1965) amendment. This"acttoenforcethefifteenthBecausetheVotingRightsActof amendmenttotheConstitution"was1965 was the most significant statutory signedintolaw95yearsafterthechange in the relationship between the amendmentwasratified.InthoseFederal and state governments in the years, African Americans in the Southarea of voting since the Reconstruction faced tremendous obstacles to voting,period following the Civil War, it was includingpolltaxes,literacytests,immediately challenged in the courts. and other bureaucratic restrictions toBetween 1965 and 1969, the Supreme deny them the right to vote. They alsoCourtissuedseveralkeydecisions risked harassment, intimidation, eco- upholdingtheconstitutionalityof nomic reprisals, and physical violenceSection5andaffirmingthebroad when they tried to register or vote. Asrangeofvotingpracticesforwhich aresult,veryfewAfricanAmericanspreclearance was required. [See South wereregisteredvoters,andtheyhadCarolina v. Katzenbach, 383 U.S. 301, very little, if any, political power, either327-28 (1966) and Allen v. State Board locally or nationally. of Elections, 393 U.S. 544 (1969)] In 1964, numerous demonstrationsThe law had an immediate impact. wereheld,andtheconsiderablevio- By the end of 1965, a quarter of a mil-lencethateruptedbroughtrenewedlion new black voters had been regis-attention to the issue of voting rights.tered, one-third by Federal examiners. Themurderofvoting-rightsactiv- By the end of 1966, only 4 out of the ists in Mississippi and the attack by13 southern states had fewer than 50 state troopers on peaceful marchers inpercentofAfricanAmericansregis-Selma,AL,gainednationalattentiontered to vote. The Voting Rights Act of and persuaded President Johnson and1965 was readopted and strengthened Congresstoinitiatemeaningfulandin 1970, 1975, and 1982.4 NOVEMBER 2020 BOCNEWS.com'