The Voting Rights Act Was Weakened Again - Now What?

FEATURING REV. DR. STEPHANY ROSE SPAULDING - A federal court has just struck down a key aspect of the Voting Rights Act. The 8th circuit court of appeals last week in a 2-1 decision ruled that a lower court decision preventing private citizens and organizations from using Section 2 of the VRA to sue against racial discrimination in voting rights would no longer be permitted. Only the U.S. Attorney General could bring legal challenges. According to the Washington Post, “in the past 40 years, at least 182 successful Section 2 cases have been filed and, of those, only 15 ‘were brought solely’ by the attorney general.” The devastating ruling is only the latest attack on the seminal 1965 law that legally enshrined people’s right to vote.