Voting Rights Act Summary

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In 1965, the Voting Rights Act was passed by the 36th President of the United States - Lyndon Johnson. This act broke down prejudices against low-income people, people of color and people with disabilities. In a recent op-ed piece President Obama showed admiration to Civil-Rights leaders like:Jimmie Lee Jackson, John Lewis, and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr by writing "we owe them a great debt". Although the President wrote the Voting Rights Act started an "era of progress" with its enactment, he argued the fact that it needs to be updated. He sighted the recent court cases which upheld new voting laws that are seen as hindering minorities voting rights, and the 2013 Supreme Court decision that invalidated parts of the Voting Rights Act. On a