Today in 1965, President Lyndon B. Johnson speaks to Congress calling for equal voting rights. President JFK was preparing plans to end discrimination and was ready to make moves until his untimely assassination. With his death, President Johnson took on the challenge of finding equality in the nation. In his argument, Johnson made it clear the African-Americans have had the right to vote through the 15th Amendment since the end of the Civil War. Although the constitution states this, many states got around this by placing literacy tests and other discriminatory regulations. Johnson’s efforts were successful and the Voting Rights Act was signed in August of 1965.
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