Johnson signs Voting Rights Act, banning literacy tests and creating federal preclearance

President Lyndon Johnson signs the Voting Rights Act of 1965 into law on August 6 at the U.S. Capitol, flanked by civil rights leaders including Martin Luther King Jr. and Rosa Parks. The law bans literacy tests, provides for federal voting examiners in covered jurisdictions, and under Section 5 requires nine Southern states and other covered jurisdictions to obtain "preclearance" from the DOJ or a federal court before making any change to voting laws or procedures. Section 2 establishes a nationwide ban on voting practices that discriminate based on race. Within months, Black voter registration in the covered states rises dramatically.