Which statement about the Voting Rights Act of 1965 is accurate?

Which statement about the Voting Rights Act of 1965 is accurate?

• A. Prohibited racial discrimination in voting; eliminated literacy tests; authorized federal enforcement.
• B. Banned segregation in public accommodations.
• C. Created NASA.
• D. Ended the Vietnam War.

Answer: (A)

The Voting Rights Act of 1965 was designed to end racial discrimination in voting and to ensure federal protection of voting rights. The statement that it prohibited racial discrimination in voting, eliminated literacy tests, and authorized federal enforcement is accurate because the act outlawed discriminatory voting practices, including literacy tests used to suppress Black and minority voters, and it gave the federal government new power to enforce those protections—through mechanisms like federal oversight and preclearance requirements before voting changes could take effect. This federal enforcement was especially important in jurisdictions with histories of voter suppression, helping to ensure that people could register and vote without facing biased barriers. The other options don’t fit: banning segregation in public accommodations is associated with the Civil Rights Act of 1964, creating NASA is unrelated, and ending the Vietnam War is also unrelated.

The Voting Rights Act of 1965 was designed to end racial discrimination in voting and to ensure federal protection of voting rights. The statement that it prohibited racial discrimination in voting, eliminated literacy tests, and authorized federal enforcement is accurate because the act outlawed discriminatory voting practices, including literacy tests used to suppress Black and minority voters, and it gave the federal government new power to enforce those protections—through mechanisms like federal oversight and preclearance requirements before voting changes could take effect. This federal enforcement was especially important in jurisdictions with histories of voter suppression, helping to ensure that people could register and vote without facing biased barriers. The other options don’t fit: banning segregation in public accommodations is associated with the Civil Rights Act of 1964, creating NASA is unrelated, and ending the Vietnam War is also unrelated.