1st Edition

The Voting Rights Act of 1965 Race, Voting, and Redistricting

Edited By Marsha Darling Copyright 2002

    Political redistricting is one of the most controversial issues in contemporary American society. The practice of shaping voting districts to enhance the political representation of minorities at all levels of government emerged as a legal remedy for redressing the systematic historical exclusion of minority political representation. It continues to have vocal and active defenders and detractors to this day with court rulings upholding or challenging the practice every year. The controversies of redistricting have challenged America's commitment to participatory democracy and America's ability to account for its historical record of voting and racial discrimination. The legal and historical arguments addressing the policy of redistricting and the constitutional issues surrounding it revolve around interpretations of the Fifteenth Amendment and America's ability to accept or reject race-based solutions to political representstion. This three-volume set brings together all the major legal cases and the most influential articles on the legal and historical arguments surrounding this issue.

    Chapter 1 The Fourteenth and Fifteenth Amendments to the Constitution of the United States; Chapter 2 The Enforcement Act (The Civil Rights Act of 1870); Chapter 3 The Force Act of 1871; Chapter 4 The Unhappy History of Civil Rights Legislation, Eugene Gressman; Chapter 5 The Origins; Chapter 6 The Civil Rights Act of 1960; Chapter 7 Gomillion v. Lightfoot; Chapter 8 The Civil Rights Act of 1964 July 2, 1964; Chapter 9 The Voting Rights Act of 1965 August 6, 1965; Chapter 10 Address on Voting Rights to Joint Session of Congress by President Johnson March 15, 1965; Chapter 11 Text of President Johnson’s Voting Rights Message; Chapter 12 Text of President Johnson’s March 13 News Conference; Chapter 13 The Origins; Chapter 14 The Debate; Chapter 15 Index to Tables; Chapter 16 On Voting Rights; Chapter 17 House of Representatives-89th Congress, 1st Session July 6–9, 1965; Chapter 18 Conference Report to Accompany S. 1564 August 2, 1965; Chapter 19 Senate-89th Congress, 1st Session August 4, 1965; Chapter 20 Floor Action; Chapter 21 South Carolina v. Katzenbach.; Chapter 22 Copyright Acknowledgments;

    Biography

    Marsha Darling holds a doctorate of law. She has taught history at Georgetown University and is currently director of the African American Studies Department at Adelphi University in New York.