Which law aimed to eliminate legal barriers to Black voting in 1965?

• A. Civil Rights Act of 1964
• B. The 24th Amendment
• C. Voting Rights Act of 1965
• D. Civil Rights Act of 1957

Answer: (C)

The essential idea is that this law directly removes the barriers that kept Black citizens from voting by policing discriminatory practices and giving the federal government real enforcement power. It explicitly bans methods like literacy tests and other tactics used to disenfranchise voters, and it authorizes federal oversight of elections in jurisdictions with histories of discrimination (including preclearance before changes to voting laws can take effect). This combination made it a powerful, targeted tool for protecting the right to vote as guaranteed by the Fifteenth Amendment, leading to a big increase in Black voter registration and turnout. In contrast, the Civil Rights Act of 1964 addressed segregation and discrimination in public accommodations and employment; the 24th Amendment barred poll taxes in federal elections (a step toward access but narrower and not as broad in enforcement); and the Civil Rights Act of 1957 laid groundwork but did not provide the same sweeping, enforceable protections for voting rights that this act did.