President Johnson sent the Voting Rights Act to Congress. In response to the horrific events in Selma and after years of efforts in Congress and around the country. on August 6. 1965. the Voting Rights Act was signed into law. The act outlawed barriers to voting. such as literacy tests. and empowered the Federal Government to oversee voter registration and elections in counties that historically had prevented African Americans from participating in elections. Since its enactment. the Voting Rights Act has been extended four timesin 1970. 1975. 1982. and 1992. Changes included increasing the acts scope to cover nonEnglish speaking minorities such as lIatinos.
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literacy tests