Existing comment:
“SAY, THIS IS OKAY—A MAJORITY OF US THAT CAN VOTE IN THIS STATE WOULD DECIDE WHOSE VOTES WON’T MEAN MUCH IN THE FUTURE”
Herblock imagined the relief that some people may have felt when Senator Everett Dirksen introduced his amendment to weaken the Voting Rights Act of 1965. Believing that Senator Ted Kennedy’s amendment to eliminate the use of poll taxes in state and local elections violated states’ rights, Dirksen then introduced an amendment to exclude states where 60 percent or more of the eligible adult population was registered to vote. With the passage of the Voting Rights Act of 1965, African Americans registered to vote and began to elect African Americans into local, state, and national offices.
“Say, This Is Okay—A Majority of Us That Can Votes in This State Would Decide Whose Votes Won’t Mean Much in the Future,” 1965. Published in the Washington Post, April 6, 1965. |