AP US History in 1 Minute Daily: 1960s Voting Rights Activism (Day 275/309)

Hey APUSHers, let’s chat about 1960s Voting Rights Activism as part of my series- APUSH in 1 Minute Daily!

Voter Registration Maps

In the 1960s, voting rights became a central focus of the Civil Rights Movement as African Americans faced systemic barriers to voting, including poll taxes, literacy tests, and intimidation tactics. 

SNCC Button, Wikimedia Commons

Civil rights organizations, such as the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC), mobilized campaigns to register African American voters in Southern states. 

Freedom Summer, PBS

During Freedom Summer in 1964, hundreds of volunteers participated in a voter registration campaign aimed at combating voter suppression and promoting civil rights education in Mississippi.

Selma March, New York Times

The Selma to Montgomery marches in 1965 were pivotal events, with participants facing violent attacks by law enforcement on the Edmund Pettus Bridge, drawing national attention to the issue of voting rights. 

Vote, 1965, Freedom Center

These efforts culminated in the Voting Rights Act of 1965, which prohibited racial discrimination in voting practices and provided federal oversight of elections in states with a history of voter suppression. 

Catalyzed by the efforts of civil rights activists, voting rights expanded for African Americans in 1965, marking a significant political success in the movement. 

Join me tomorrow as I explain Civil Rights Supreme Court Decisions in the next APUSH in 1 Minute Daily!