Voting Rights Day 4

Voting Rights expand

Dec 1, 1965

By the end of 1965, over 250,000 African Americans registered to vote.

Extension of Voting Rights Act

Jan 1, 1970

Congress reviews temporary provision for 5 years. President Richard Nixon signs extension to Voting Rights Act of 1965.
*Start date is year only

African Americans in Congress

Jan 1, 1972

Barbara Jordan (Houston) and Andrew Young (Atlanta) became first African Americans elected to Congress.
*Start date is year only.

Ford extension of Voting Rights Act

Jan 1, 1975

President Gerald Ford signs extension to Voting Rights Act for new measures of bar literacy tests nationwide and give assistance to language minority voters.
*Start date is year only

Reagan extension of Voting Rights Act

Jan 1, 1982

President Ronald Reagan signs 25 year extension to Voting Rights Act of 1965 due to over turn of Supreme Court case of City of Mobile v. Bolden.
*Start date is year only.

Growth of African American officials

Dec 1, 1990

Black elected officials grow from 3 to 495 in Georgia.

Congree extends Section V

Jan 1, 2006

Congress extends “Section 5” of Voting Rights Act for an additional 25 years.
*Start date is year only