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Component #1:

A: The following information was summarized from the source titled, "https://www.archives.gov/milestone-documents/brown-v-board-of-education." (include the hyperlink)

B: This event took place in Topeka Kansas and was the case of a man, Oliver Brown, arguing against the Supreme Court that segregation in schools was unconstitutional. This event was important due to the fact that it was a landmark in the Civil Rights movement. The ruling of Brown V. Board was able to create a precedent of desegregation by law. With said precedent, Civil Rights activists were able to easier desegregate the entirety of the U.S. Along with that, it simply allowed for greater mixes of children to be exposed to other races, likely easing prejudice in their minds due to the fact they were surrounded by other races.

Component #2:

A: The following information was taken from https://www.docsteach.org/documents/document/complaint-in-brown-v-board-of-education-of-topeka. (include the hyperlink)

B: I chose the official Supreme Court documents because they show exactly the opinion and jurisdiction of the full issue. These papers were written to properly portray the mindset and reasoning for the decision, which accurately represents the significance of the event.

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EnlargeDownload Link Citation: Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka, Opinion; May 17, 1954; Records of the Supreme Court of the United States; Record Group 267; National Archives. View All Pages in the National Archives Catalog View Transcript In this milestone decision, the Supreme Court ruled that separating children in public schools on the basis of race was unconstitutional. It signaled the end of legalized racial segregation in the schools of the United States, overruling the “separate but equal” principle set forth in the 1896 Plessy v. Ferguson case. On May 17, 1954, U.S.

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Historical Event Example: Prohibition of Mixed Marriages Act of 1949 

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Historical Event Example: Prohibition of Mixed Marriages Act of 1949 

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Component #1:

A: The following information was summarized from the article titled, "The Prohibition of Mixed Marriages Act."

B: During this event, the South African government passed the Prohibition of Mixed Marriages Act in 1949, banning marriages between White people and those of other races to uphold racial segregation. This law targeted intermarriage specifically to maintain the "purity" of the White race, and it reflected the rigid racial hierarchy of apartheid policies. Many churches and political figures criticized the Act, arguing it infringed on personal freedoms and religious beliefs. Despite the restrictions, interracial relationships continued in secret, contributing to rising opposition to apartheid. The law's significance lies in its role as a cornerstone of apartheid, influencing racial relations in South Africa until its repeal in 1985.

Component #2:

A: The following information was taken from this primary source.

B: This primary source, a legal document from South Africa's apartheid era, connects to the Prohibition of Mixed Marriages Act of 1949 as it formally outlines the restrictions placed on interracial marriage. By specifying penalties and regulations, it institutionalized racial segregation and reinforced apartheid policies that sought to maintain racial separation and hierarchy. The document exemplifies the legal enforcement of racial purity ideology by prohibiting unions between White individuals and those of other racial backgrounds. This Act is part of South Africa's broader apartheid laws, which oppressed non-White communities until the 1980s.

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Component #1:

During one of the meetings for the Mrs. Myrna column in the paper, Aibileen tells Skeeter of the book her son was working on writing. This was the spark that Skeeter needed to realize how passionately she felt about the concept of civil rights and how unjust the South was. From this spark, Skeeter would go on to conjure a plan for her idea and bring it to Aibileen, driving the plot of the book as a whole. I believe this is where the book truly starts, and is no longer introductory pages. This is the start to the main idea: segregation.

Component #2:

A: "He read this book call Invisible Man. When he done, he say he gone write down what it was like to be a colored working for a white man in Mississippi" (Stockett 99).

B: This quote is the moment when Aibileen told Skeeter of her son's book. Shortly after this, Skeeter would realize how significant the unspoken rules of the south are.

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Component #1:

A: The following information was summarized from the source titled, "https://www.loc.gov/collections/civil-rights-history-project/articles-and-essays/murder-of-emmett-till/." (include the hyperlink)

B: Emmett Till was an African-American teenager that went to Mississippi in 1955 and allegedly whistled at a white woman. Due to this, within the next 24 hours he was taken from his family's home and lynched. His mother, upon hearing of this, rushed to Mississippi and allowed for an open casket and a picture of the body to be put in the papers, despite how horribly deformed his corpse was. This was significant because it showed the public how brutal and horrid the common practice of lynching in the South was. And it showed the U.S. public how common this was and created a huge step in the Civil Rights Movement.

Component #2:

A: The following information was taken from this primary source. (include the hyperlink) https://www.emmetttillproject.com/archives

B: This website shows all of the local newspapers covering the death of Emmett Till and the effects thereafter. It shows the significance of his death in the Civil Rights movement, especially present when presenting the statistic of 40,000 people showing up to his funeral.

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The Murder of Emmett Till | Articles and Essays | Civil Rights History Project | Digital Collections | Library of Congress

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The murder of 14-year-old Emmett Till in 1955 brought nationwide attention to the racial violence and injustice prevalent in Mississippi. While visiting his relatives in Mississippi, Till went to the Bryant store with his cousins, and may have whistled at Carolyn Bryant. Her husband, Roy Bryant, and…

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Component #1:

In the vignette "The Difference Between a Son and a Daughter (8)," Lakshmi reflects on how her culture values sons over daughters. Her mother explains that while sons bring wealth to a family, daughters are seen as burdens due to the dowry required for marriage. This belief impacts Lakshmi’s life, as it leads her family to see her as a financial strain, setting up their decision to send her away to earn money, which ultimately leads to her being trafficked. This event highlights the discrimination Lakshmi faces and foreshadows the challenges she will endure, affecting her sense of self-worth and resilience as she learns to survive in a world that limits her choices.

Component #2:

A: "I ask Ama why, "Why," I say, "must women suffer so?"

"This has always been our fate," she says.

"Simply to endure," she says, "is to triumph'" (McCormick 16).

B: The quote reflects and deepens the ideas in the paragraph above for component #1A by emphasizing the cultural expectation that women must endure suffering as their fate. Lakshmi’s question—“Why must women suffer so?”—reveals her struggle to understand the injustice she faces simply for being female. Her mother’s response, “Simply to endure is to triumph,” highlights the strength and resilience expected of women in their society. This perspective mirrors the notion that, despite being undervalued and considered a burden, women find victory in their ability to persist. Ama’s words reinforce the theme of resilience in the face of hardship, which is central to Lakshmi’s journey as she learns to navigate a world that undervalues her, aligning with the vignette’s focus on gender-based discrimination and endurance.

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Component #1:

Finally, after months, Mister Johnny caught Minny in his house. Even though his house is huge and filled with much Confederation memorabilia, he was accepting. Though he caused fear, he treated Minny like just another person. He may not have treated her as equal to himself, but he was far more worried about his wife than the fact that this person in his house is African-American. This shows that, despite being raised by racist people, people can still be incredibly progress regardless.

Component #2:

A: "Look after her. I don't like her in this big house by herself.

Yessuh. Whatever you say" (Stockett 163).

B: This quote clearly shows the worry for his wife over the presence of an African-American woman in his house.

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Component #1:

A: The following information was summarized from the source titled, "https://kinginstitute.stanford.edu/montgomery-bus-boycott." (include the hyperlink)

B: Following the arrest of Rosa Parks, African-Americans in the south spent 13 months boycotting the public busses, due to the fact they were forced to give up seats in the front of the bus, or any seat if the bus was full, for any white person. This was in protest of Jim Crow laws, which forced segregation by law, claiming the south was "separate but equal." This was significant because it would be ruled that the segregation of public busses was unconstitutional. It also forced the company owners to realize the majority of their passengers were African-American, and displayed that they are necessary for their profits, further advancing civil rights.

Component #2:

A: The following information was taken from this primary source. (include the hyperlink) https://www.loc.gov/resource/mss85943.001810/?sp=27&r=-0.568,0.414,2.137,0.973,0

B: These are the words of Rosa Parks, following her arrest. These words, and the fact she was arrested, sparked the Montgomery Bus Boycott, as it was the first stone in a landslide of actions.

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The Martin Luther King, Jr. Research and Education Institute

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On 5 December, 90 percent of Montgomery's black citizens stayed off the buses. That afternoon, the city's ministers and leaders met to discuss the possibility of extending the boycott into a long-term campaign. During this meeting the MIA was formed, and King was elected president.

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Component #1:

In chapter 19, Skeeter is reading Time Magazine and reads a story about an African-American teacher who was recently lynched. The story includes the perspective of the governor and how he was a pathetic man. All the man had done to "deserve" such treatment was to speak out on his experiences with racism. This is a key component because it continues to hone-in on the foreshadowing. Continually, Skeeter, Aibileen and Minny see different deaths and occurrences around them which punish civil rights, and this moment amplifies that.

Component #2:

A: "They'd killed Carl Roberts for speaking out, for talking" (Stockett 282).

B: I chose this quote because it's another moment of fear and paranoia being secured into the psyche of Skeeter, but signifies all four people's paranoia and the consequences which are sure to come.

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Component #1:

A: The following information was summarized from the source titled, "https://kinginstitute.stanford.edu/freedom-rides#:~:text=During%20the%20spring%20of%201961,interstate%20buses%20and%20bus%20terminals.." (include the hyperlink)

B: The Freedom Rides were a set of protests against the segregation removal of African-Americans on interstate busses. Volunteers simply rode the Greyhound busses across state lines in nonviolent protests. In response, they were met by violence, permanent injury, and no help from the police, requiring federal intervention. This is significant as some of the first sit-ins. Pioneering a new form of protest in the south, this sparked a whole new form of protest which proved very effective, time and time again.

Component #2:

A: The following information was taken from this primary source. (include the hyperlink) https://www.crmvet.org/riders/61_core_fr.pdf

B: This paper comes directly from the Freedom Riders, speaking on their experiences and challenges faced on their interstate rides.

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The Martin Luther King, Jr. Research and Education Institute

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Component #1:

After a horrible party and Minny finally telling the truth of what she did to Miss. Hilly, Celia finally chops down the mimosa tree. Before this, all we had seen was the constant debate of 'thought vs. action' in Celia, and now she's finally taking control. Not only that, but she's chopping down the old, destroying what was for what now is. This signifies the changes that have happened in the book, especially involving racism. The mimosa tree here is symbolizing the death of old views, of how a white woman can be friends with another of a different skin color.

Component #2:

A: "I hear the groan and see the tree crash to the ground. Leaves and dead fronds fly through the air, sticking all over her Butterbatch" (Stockett 402).

B: Here is the final moment of the chapter, littered with powerful symbolism. Emphasizing how disgusting the racism and prejudice are, the tree has many negative connotations given really shows the beginning of a climactic turning point.

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Component #1:

A: The following information was summarized from the source titled, "https://www.fbi.gov/history/famous-cases/medgar-evers#:~:text=About%20half%20past%20midnight%2C%20a,struck%20Evers%20in%20the%20back.." (include the hyperlink)

B: Medgar Evers was a Civil Rights activist in the NAACP. At the end of a day in 1963, he went home and was promptly shot in the back. In front of his wife and 3 kids, he died on the steps to his house. The suspect remained at large and unpunished for about 30 years. This showed that any African-American could be killed for their exercising their right to free speech. This event further sparked action and civil rights movements.

Component #2:

A: The following information was taken from this primary source. (include the hyperlink) https://content.wisconsinhistory.org/digital/collection/p15932coll2/id/42577

B: This is a paper written about 1 year after the death of Medgar Evers to recount events and mourn the loss of the NAACP member.

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This site has determined a security issue with your request.

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1963: March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom

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1963: March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom

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Component #1:

A: The following information was summarized from the source titled, "https://www.nps.gov/articles/march-on-washington.htm#:~:text=It%20was%20the%20largest%20gathering,from%20all%20over%20the%20country.." (include the hyperlink)

B: The March on Washington was the largest civil rights protest of all time. Somewhere around 250,000 people showed up to march and protest discrimination in the workforce against African-Americans, Latinos, and any other disenfranchised group. Many leaders were present, including Martin Luther King Jr. This march was also in support of an act being put forth by JFK at the time. This was significant because it showed just how many people wanted to see a change and demonstrated a desire for action.

Component #2:

A: The following information was taken from this primary source. (include the hyperlink) https://www.npr.org/2010/01/18/122701268/i-have-a-dream-speech-in-its-entirety

B: This is the link to the transcript of Martin Luther King Jr.'s famous "I Have a Dream" speech, given during the march.

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View of crowds on the National Mall from the Lincoln Memorial to the Washington Monument, August 28, 1963
Photo by Warren K. Leffler, LOC, LC-U9- 10360-5

A Powerful, Peaceful Protest

With that many people converging on the city, there were concerns about violence. The Washington, D.C. police force mobilized 5,900 officers for the march and the government mustered 6,000 soldiers and National Guardsmen as additional protection. President Kennedy thought that if there were any problems, the negative perceptions could undo the civil rights bill making its way through Congress. In the end, the crowds were calm and there were no incidents reported by police.

While the March was a peaceful occasion, the words spoken that day at the Lincoln Memorial were not just uplifting and inspirational such as Martin Luther King Jr.'s "I Have a Dream"speech, they were also penetrating and pointed. There was a list of "Ten Demands" from the sponsors, insisting on a fair living wage, fair employment policies, and desegregation of school districts. John Lewis in his speech said that "we do not want our freedom gradually but we want to be free now" and that Congress needed to pass "meaningful legislation" or people would march through the South. Although the SNCC chairman had toned down his remarks at the request of white liberals and moderate black allies, he still managed to criticize both political parties for moving too slowly on civil rights. Others such as Whitney Young and Joachim Prinz spoke of the need for justice, for equal opportunity, for full access to the American Dream promised with the Declaration of Independence and reaffirmed with the passage of the 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments. They spoke of jobs, and of a life free from the indifference of lawmakers to people's plights.

In the end, after all of the musical performances, speeches, and politics, it was the people that truly made the March on Washington a success. They brought box lunches, having spent all they could spare to get to Washington; some dressed as if attending a church service while others wore overalls and boots; veterans of the Civil Rights Movement and individuals new to the issues locked arms, clapped and sang and walked. Many began without their leaders, who were making their way to them from meetings on Capitol Hill. They could no longer be patient and they could no longer be held back, and so they started to march - Black, White, Latino, American Indian, Jewish, Christian, men, women, famous, anonymous, but ultimately all Americans, all marching for their civil rights.

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March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom (U.S. National Park Service)

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t was the largest gathering for civil rights of its time. An estimated 250,000 people attended the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom on August 28, 1963, arriving in Washington, D.C. by planes, trains, cars, and buses from all over the country.

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Component #1:

A: The following information was summarized from the source titled, "https://www.dol.gov/agencies/oasam/civil-rights-center/statutes/civil-rights-act-of-1964#:~:text=The%20Civil%20Rights%20Act%20of%201964%20prohibits%20discrimination%20on%20the,hiring%2C%20promoting%2C%20and%20firing.." (include the hyperlink)

B: This act followed shortly after the mass resistance of desegregation and the murder of Medgar Evers. The act stated that employers could not discriminate based on ace, color, religion, sex or national origin. Not only was this able to eliminate Jim Crow laws, but it did away with any laws involving "separate but equal" mindsets. This is significant because it made the discrimination illegal. Which, even though many wouldn't abide by these laws, including law enforcement, for many years, this act spearheaded a new end to racial inequalities (as they were, I won't claim inequalities don't still exist).

Component #2:

A: The following information was taken from this primary source. (include the hyperlink) https://www.docsteach.org/documents/document/civil-rights-act-of-1964

B: This is a digital copy of the original act.

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Component #1:

A: The following information was summarized from the source titled, "https://www.archives.gov/milestone-documents/voting-rights-act." (include the hyperlink)

B: The Voting Rights Act outlawed any racial discrimination towards voters. Even though African-Americans could vote, there were many laws and "regulations" made that purposefully made it more difficult for them to vote, such as literacy tests. Even though these laws did not explicitly state they were racially prejudice, it was very clear that they were for many reasons. This allowed for millions of more minorities in the to be able to vote. Furthermore, it helped to minimize political corruption.

Component #2:

A: The following information was taken from this primary source. (include the hyperlink) https://dp.la/primary-source-sets/voting-rights-act-of-1965/sources/1383

B: This is a digital copy of the first proposition of the 15th amendment, written in 1869.

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Transcript

AN ACT To enforce the fifteenth amendment to the Constitution of the United States, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That this Act shall be known as the "Voting Rights Act of 1965."

SEC. 2. No voting qualification or prerequisite to voting, or standard, practice, or procedure shall be imposed or applied by any State or political subdivision to deny or abridge the right of any citizen of the United States to vote on account of race or color.

SEC. 3. (a) Whenever the Attorney General institutes a proceeding under any statute to enforce the guarantees of the fifteenth amendment in any State or political subdivision the court shall authorize the appointment of Federal examiners by the United States Civil Service Commission in accordance with section 6 to serve for such period of time and for such political subdivisions as the court shall determine is appropriate to enforce the guarantees of the fifteenth amendment (1) as part of any interlocutory order if the court determines that the appointment of such examiners is necessary to enforce such guarantees or (2) as part of any final judgment if the court finds that violations of the fifteenth amendment justifying equitable relief have occurred in such State or subdivision: Provided, That the court need not authorize the appointment of examiners if any incidents of denial or abridgement of the right to vote on account of race or color (1) have been few in number and have been promptly and effectively corrected by State or local action, (2) the continuing effect of such incidents has been eliminated, and (3) there is no reasonable probability of their recurrence in the future.

(b) If in a proceeding instituted by the Attorney General under any statute to enforce the guarantees of the fifteenth amendment in any State or political subdivision the court finds that a test or device has been used for the purpose or with the effect of denying or abridging the right of any citizen of the United States to vote on account of race or color, it shall suspend the use of tests and devices in such State or political subdivisions as the court shall determine is appropriate and for such period as it deems necessary.

(c) If in any proceeding instituted by the Attorney General under any statute to enforce the guarantees of the fifteenth amendment in any State or political subdivision the court finds that violations of the fifteenth amendment justifying equitable relief have occurred within the territory of such State or political subdivision, the court, in addition to such relief as it may grant, shall retain jurisdiction for such period as it may deem appropriate and during such period no voting qualification or prerequisite to voting, or standard, practice, or procedure with respect to voting different from that in force or effect at the time the proceeding was commenced shall be enforced unless and until the court finds that such qualification, prerequisite, standard, practice, or procedure does not have the purpose and will not have the effect of denying or abridging the right to vote on account of race or color: Provided, That such qualification, prerequisite, standard, practice, or procedure may be enforced if the qualification, prerequisite, standard, practice, or procedure has been submitted by the chief legal officer or other appropriate official of such State or subdivision to the Attorney General and the Attorney General has not interposed an objection within sixty days after such submission, except that neither the court's finding nor the Attorney General's failure to object shall bar a subsequent action to enjoin enforcement of such qualification, prerequisite, standard, practice, or procedure.

SEC. 4. (a) To assure that the right of citizens of the United States to vote is not denied or abridged on account of race or color, no citizen shall be denied the right to vote in any Federal, State, or local election because of his failure to comply with any test or device in any State with respect to which the determinations have been made under subsection (b) or in any political subdivision with respect to which such determinations have been made as a separate unit, unless the United States District Court for the District of Columbia in an action for a declaratory judgment brought by such State or subdivision against the United States has determined that no such test or device has been used during the five years preceding the filing of the action for the purpose or with the effect of denying or abridging the right to vote on account of race or color: Provided, That no such declaratory judgment shall issue with respect to any plaintiff for a period of five years after the entry of a final judgment of any court of the United States, other than the denial of a declaratory judgment under this section, whether entered prior to or after the enactment of this Act, determining that denials or abridgments of the right to vote on account of race or color through the use of such tests or devices have occurred anywhere in the territory of such plaintiff. An action pursuant to this subsection shall be heard and determined by a court of three judges in accordance with the provisions of section 2284 of title 28 of the United States Code and any appeal shall lie to the Supreme Court. The court shall retain jurisdiction of any action pursuant to this subsection for five years after judgment and shall reopen the action upon motion of the Attorney General alleging that a test or device has been used for the purpose or with the effect of denying or abridging the right to vote on account of race or color.

If the Attorney General determines that he has no reason to believe that any such test or device has been used during the five years preceding the filing of the action for the purpose or with the effect of denying or abridging the right to vote on account of race or color, he shall consent to the entry of such judgment

(b) The provisions of subsection (a) shall apply in any State or in any political subdivision of a state which (1) the Attorney General determines maintained on November 1, 1964, any test or device, and with respect to which (2) the Director of the Census determines that less than 50 percentum of the persons of voting age residing therein were registered on November 1, 1964, or that less than 50 percentum of such persons voted in the presidential election of November 1964.

A determination or certification of the Attorney General or of the Director of the Census under this section or under section 6 or section 13 shall not be reviewable in any court and shall be effective upon publication in the Federal Register.

(c) The phrase "test or device" shall mean any requirement that a person as a prerequisite for voting or registration for voting (1) demonstrate the ability to read, write, understand, or interpret any matter, (2) demonstrate any educational achievement or his knowledge of any particular subject, (3) possess good moral character, or (4) prove his qualifications by the voucher of registered voters or members of any other class.

(d) For purposes of this section no State or political subdivision shall be determined to have engaged in the use of tests or devices for the purpose or with the effect of denying or abridging the right to vote on account of race or color if (1) incidents of such use have been few in number and have been promptly and effectively corrected by State or local action, (2) the continuing effect of such incidents has been eliminated, and (3) there is no reasonable probability of their recurrence in the future.

(e)
(1) Congress hereby declares that to secure the rights under the fourteenth amendment of persons educated in American-flag schools in which the predominant classroom language was other than English, it is necessary to prohibit the States from conditioning the right to vote of such persons on ability to read, write, understand, or interpret any matter in the English language.
(2) No person who demonstrates that he has successfully completed the sixth primary grade in a public school in, or a private school accredited by, any State or territory, the District of Columbia, or the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico in which the predominant classroom language was other than English, shall be denied the right to vote in any Federal, State, or local election because of his inability to read, write, understand, or interpret any matter in the English language, except that, in States in which State law provides that a different level of education is presumptive of literacy, he shall demonstrate that he has successfully completed an equivalent level of education in a public school in, or a private school accredited by, any State or territory, the District of Columbia, or the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico in which the predominant classroom language was other than English.

SEC. 5. Whenever a State or political subdivision with respect to which the prohibitions set forth in section 4(a) are in effect shall enact or seek to administer any voting qualification or prerequisite to voting, or standard, practice, or procedure with respect to voting different from that in force or effect on November 1, 1964, such State or subdivision may institute an action in the United States District Court for the District of Columbia for a declaratory judgment that such qualification, prerequisite, standard, practice, or procedure does not have the purpose and will not have the effect of denying or abridging the right to vote on account of race or color, and unless and until the court enters such judgment no person shall be denied the right to vote for failure to comply with such qualification, prerequisite, standard, practice, or procedure: Provided, That such qualification, prerequisite, standard, practice, or procedure may be enforced without such proceeding if the qualification, prerequisite, standard, practice, or procedure has been submitted by the chief legal officer or other appropriate official of such State or subdivision to the Attorney General and the Attorney General has not interposed an objection within sixty days after such submission, except that neither the Attorney General's failure to object nor a declaratory judgment entered under this section shall bar a subsequent action to enjoin enforcement of such qualification, prerequisite, standard, practice, or procedure. Any action under this section shall be heard and determined by a court of three judges in accordance with the provisions of section 2284 of title 28 of the United States Code and any appeal shall lie to the Supreme Court.

SEC. 6. Whenever (a) a court has authorized the appointment of examiners pursuant to the provisions of section 3(a), or (b) unless a declaratory judgment has been rendered under section 4(a), the Attorney General certifies with respect to any political subdivision named in, or included within the scope of, determinations made under section 4(b) that (1) he has received complaints in writing from twenty or more residents of such political subdivision alleging that they have been denied the right to vote under color of law on account of race or color, and that he believes such complaints to be meritorious, or (2) that, in his judgment (considering, among other factors, whether the ratio of nonwhite persons to white persons registered to vote within such subdivision appears to him to be reasonably attributable to violations of the fifteenth amendment or whether substantial evidence exists that bona fide efforts are being made within such subdivision to comply with the fifteenth amendment), the appointment of examiners is otherwise necessary to enforce the guarantees of the fifteenth amendment, the Civil Service Commission shall appoint as many examiners for such subdivision as it may deem appropriate to prepare and maintain lists of persons eligible to vote in Federal, State, and local elections. Such examiners, hearing officers provided for in section 9(a), and other persons deemed necessary by the Commission to carry out the provisions and purposes of this Act shall be appointed, compensated, and separated without regard to the provisions of any statute administered by the Civil Service Commission, and service under this Act shall not be considered employment for the purposes of any statute administered by the Civil Service Commission, except the provisions of section 9 of the Act of August 2, 1939, as amended (5 U.S.C. 118i), prohibiting partisan political activity: Provided, That the Commission is authorized, after consulting the head of the appropriate department or agency, to designate suitable persons in the official service of the United States, with their consent, to serve in these positions. Examiners and hearing officers shall have the power to administer oaths.

SEC. 7. (a) The examiners for each political subdivision shall, at such places as the Civil Service Commission shall by regulation designate, examine applicants concerning their qualifications for voting. An application to an examiner shall be in such form as the Commission may require and shall contain allegations that the applicant is not otherwise registered to vote.

(b) Any person whom the examiner finds, in accordance with instructions received under section 9(b), to have the qualifications prescribed by State law not inconsistent with the Constitution and laws of the United States shall promptly be placed on a list of eligible voters. A challenge to such listing may be made in accordance with section 9(a) and shall not be the basis for a prosecution under section 12 of this Act. The examiner shall certify and transmit such list, and any supplements as appropriate, at least once a month, to the offices of the appropriate election officials, with copies to the Attorney General and the attorney general of the State, and any such lists and supplements thereto transmitted during the month shall be available for public inspection on the last business day of the month and, in any event, not later than the forty-fifth day prior to any election. The appropriate State or local election official shall place such names on the official voting list. Any person whose name appears on the examiner's list shall be entitled and allowed to vote in the election district of his residence unless and until the appropriate election officials shall have been notified that such person has been removed from such list in accordance with subsection (d): Provided, That no person shall be entitled to vote in any election by virtue of this Act unless his name shall have been certified and transmitted on such a list to the offices of the appropriate election officials at least forty-five days prior to such election.

(c) The examiner shall issue to each person whose name appears on such a list a certificate evidencing his eligibility to vote.

(d) A person whose name appears on such a list shall be removed therefrom by an examiner if (1) such person has been successfully challenged in accordance with the procedure prescribed in section 9, or (2) he has been determined by an examiner to have lost his eligibility to vote under State law not inconsistent with the Constitution and the laws of the United States.

Sec. 8. Whenever an examiner is serving under this Act in any political subdivision, the Civil Service Commission may assign, at the request of the Attorney General, one or more persons, who may be officers of the United States, (1) to enter and attend at any place for holding an election in such subdivision for the purpose of observing whether persons who are entitled to vote are being permitted to vote, and (2) to enter and attend at any place for tabulating the votes cast at any election held in such subdivision for the purpose of observing whether votes cast by persons entitled to vote are being properly tabulated. Such persons so assigned shall report to an examiner appointed for such political subdivision, to the Attorney General, and if the appointment of examiners has been authorized pursuant to section 3(a), to the court. SEC. 9.

(a) Any challenge to a listing on an eligibility list prepared by an examiner shall be heard and determined by a hearing officer appointed by and responsible to the Civil Service Commission and under such rules as the Commission shall by regulation prescribe. Such challenge shall be entertained only if filed at such office within the State as the Civil Service Commission shall by regulation designate, and within ten days after the listing of the challenged person is made available for public inspection, and if supported by (1) the affidavits of at least two persons having personal knowledge of the facts constituting grounds for the challenge, and (2) a certification that a copy of the challenge and affidavits have been served by mail or in person upon the person challenged at his place of residence set out in the application. Such challenge shall be determined within fifteen days after it has been filed. A petition for review of the decision of the hearing officer may be filed in the United States court of appeals for the circuit in which the person challenged resides within fifteen days after service of such decision by mail on the person petitioning for review but no decision of a hearing officer shall be reversed unless clearly erroneous. Any person listed shall be entitled and allowed to vote pending final determination by the hearing officer and by the court.

(b) The times, places, procedures, and form for application and listing pursuant to this Act and removals from the eligibility lists shall be prescribed by regulations promulgated by the Civil Service Commission and the Commission shall, after consultation with the Attorney General, instruct examiners concerning applicable State law not inconsistent with the Constitution and laws of the United States with respect to (1) the qualifications required for listing, and (2) loss of eligibility to vote.

(c) Upon the request of the applicant or the challenger or on its own motion the Civil Service Commission shall have the power to require by subpoena the attendance and testimony of witnesses and the production of documentary evidence relating to any matter pending before it under the authority of this section. In case of contumacy or refusal to obey a subpoena, any district court of the United States or the United States court of any territory or possession, or the District Court of the United States for the District of Columbia, within the jurisdiction of which said person guilty of contumacy or refusal to obey is found or resides or is domiciled or transacts business, or has appointed an agent for receipt of service of process, upon application by the Attorney General of the United States shall have jurisdiction to issue to such person an order requiring such person to appear before the Commission or a hearing officer, there to produce pertinent, relevant, and nonprivileged documentary evidence if so ordered, or there to give testimony touching the matter under investigation, and any failure to obey such order of the court may be punished by said court as a contempt thereof.

SEC. 10. (a) The Congress finds that the requirement of the payment of a poll tax as a precondition to voting (i) precludes persons of limited means from voting or imposes unreasonable financial hardship upon such persons as a precondition to their exercise of the franchise, (ii) does not bear a reasonable relationship to any legitimate State interest in the conduct of elections, and (iii) in some areas has the purpose or effect of denying persons the right to vote because of race or color. Upon the basis of these findings, Congress declares that the constitutional right of citizens to vote is denied or abridged in some areas by the requirement of the payment of a poll tax as a precondition to voting.

(b) In the exercise of the powers of Congress under section 5 of the fourteenth amendment and section 2 of the fifteenth amendment, the Attorney General is authorized and directed to institute forthwith in the name of the United States such actions, including actions against States or political subdivisions, for declaratory judgment or injunctive relief against the enforcement of any requirement of the payment of a poll tax as a precondition to voting, or substitute therefor enacted after November 1, 1964, as will be necessary to implement the declaration of subsection (a) and the purposes of this section.

(c) The district courts of the United States shall have jurisdiction of such actions which shall be heard and determined by a court of three judges in accordance with the provisions of section 2284 of title 28 of the United States Code and any appeal shall lie to the Supreme Court. It shall be the duty of the judges designated to hear the case to assign the case for hearing at the earliest practicable date, to participate in the hearing and determination thereof, and to cause the case to be in every way expedited.

(d) During the pendency of such actions, and thereafter if the courts, notwithstanding this action by the Congress, should declare the requirement of the payment of a poll tax to be constitutional, no citizen of the United States who is a resident of a State or political subdivision with respect to which determinations have been made under subsection 4(b) and a declaratory judgment has not been entered under subsection 4(a), during the first year he becomes otherwise entitled to vote by reason of registration by State or local officials or listing by an examiner, shall be denied the right to vote for failure to pay a poll tax if he tenders payment of such tax for the current year to an examiner or to the appropriate State or local official at least forty-five days prior to election, whether or not such tender would be timely or adequate under State law. An examiner shall have authority to accept such payment from any person authorized by this Act to make an application for listing, and shall issue a receipt for such payment. The examiner shall transmit promptly any such poll tax payment to the office of the State or local official authorized to receive such payment under State law, together with the name and address of the applicant.

SEC. 11. (a) No person acting under color of law shall fail or refuse to permit any person to vote who is entitled to vote under any provision of this Act or is otherwise qualified to vote, or willfully fail or refuse to tabulate, count, and report such person's vote.

(b) No person, whether acting under color of law or otherwise, shall intimidate, threaten, or coerce, or attempt to intimidate, threaten, or coerce any person for voting or attempting to vote, or intimidate, threaten, or coerce, or attempt to intimidate, threaten, or coerce any person for urging or aiding any person to vote or attempt to vote, or intimidate, threaten, or coerce any person for exercising any powers or duties under section 3(a), 6, 8, 9, 10, or 12(e).

(c) Whoever knowingly or willfully gives false information as to his name, address, or period of residence in the voting district for the purpose of establishing his eligibility to register or vote, or conspires with another individual for the purpose of encouraging his false registration to vote or illegal voting, or pays or offers to pay or accepts payment either for registration to vote or for voting shall be fined not more than $10,000 or imprisoned not more than five years, or both: Provided, however, That this provision shall be applicable only to general, special, or primary elections held solely or in part for the purpose of selecting or electing any candidate for the office of President, Vice President, presidential elector, Member of the United States Senate, Member of the United States House of Representatives, or Delegates or Commissioners from the territories or possessions, or Resident Commissioner of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico.

(d) Whoever, in any matter within the jurisdiction of an examiner or hearing officer knowingly and willfully falsifies or conceals a material fact, or makes any false, fictitious, or fraudulent statements or representations, or makes or uses any false writing or document knowing the same to contain any false, fictitious, or fraudulent statement or entry, shall be fined not more than $10,000 or imprisoned not more than five years, or both.

SEC. 12. (a) Whoever shall deprive or attempt to deprive any person of any right secured by section 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, or 10 or shall violate section 11(a) or (b), shall be fined not more than $5,000, or imprisoned not more than five years, or both.

(b) Whoever, within a year following an election in a political subdivision in which an examiner has been appointed (1) destroys, defaces, mutilates, or otherwise alters the marking of a paper ballot which has been cast in such election, or (2) alters any official record of voting in such election tabulated from a voting machine or otherwise, shall be fined not more than $5,000, or imprisoned not more than five years, or both

(c) Whoever conspires to violate the provisions of subsection (a) or (b) of this section, or interferes with any right secured by section 2, 3 4, 5, 7, 10, or 11(a) or (b) shall be fined not more than $5,000, or imprisoned not more than five years, or both.

(d) Whenever any person has engaged or there are reasonable grounds to believe that any person is about to engage in any act or practice prohibited by section 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 10, 11, or subsection (b) of this section, the Attorney General may institute for the United States, or in the name of the United States, an action for preventive relief, including an application for a temporary or permanent injunction, restraining order, or other order, and including an order directed to the State and State or local election officials to require them (1) to permit persons listed under this Act to vote and (2) to count such votes.

(e) Whenever in any political subdivision in which there are examiners appointed pursuant to this Act any persons allege to such an examiner within forty-eight hours after the closing of the polls that notwithstanding (1) their listing under this Act or registration by an appropriate election official and (2) their eligibility to vote, they have not been permitted to vote in such election, the examiner shall forthwith notify the Attorney General if such allegations in his opinion appear to be well founded. Upon receipt of such notification, the Attorney General may forthwith file with the district court an application for an order providing for the marking, casting, and counting of the ballots of such persons and requiring the inclusion of their votes in the total vote before the results of such election shall be deemed final and any force or effect given thereto. The district court shall hear and determine such matters immediately after the filing of such application. The remedy provided in this subsection shall not preclude any remedy available under State or Federal law.

(f) The district courts of the United States shall have jurisdiction of proceedings instituted pursuant to this section and shall exercise the same without regard to whether a person asserting rights under the provisions of this Act shall have exhausted any administrative or other remedies that may be provided by law

SEC. 13. Listing procedures shall be terminated in any political subdivision of any State (a) with respect to examiners appointed pursuant to clause (b) of section 6 whenever the Attorney General notifies the Civil Service Commission, or whenever the District Court for the District of Columbia determines in an action for declaratory judgment brought by any political subdivision with respect to which the Director of the Census has determined that more than 50 percentum of the nonwhite persons of voting age residing therein are registered to vote, (1) that all persons listed by an examiner for such subdivision have been placed on the appropriate voting registration roll, and (2) that there is no longer reasonable cause to believe that persons will be deprived of or denied the right to vote on account of race or color in such subdivision, and (b), with respect to examiners appointed pursuant to section 3(a), upon order of the authorizing court. A political subdivision may petition the Attorney General for the termination of listing procedures under clause (a) of this section, and may petition the Attorney General to request the Director of the Census to take such survey or census as may be appropriate for the making of the determination provided for in this section. The District Court for the District of Columbia shall have jurisdiction to require such survey or census to be made by the Director of the Census and it shall require him to do so if it deems the Attorney General's refusal to request such survey or census to be arbitrary or unreasonable. SEC. 14.

(a) All cases of criminal contempt arising under the provisions of this Act shall be governed by section 151 of the Civil Rights Act of 1957 (42 U.S.C.1995).

(b) No court other than the District Court for the District of Columbia or a court of appeals in any proceeding under section 9 shall have jurisdiction to issue any declaratory judgment pursuant to section 4 or section 5 or any restraining order or temporary or permanent injunction against the execution or enforcement of any provision of this Act or any action of any Federal officer or employee pursuant hereto.

(c)
(1) The terms "vote" or "voting" shall include all action necessary to make a vote effective in any primary, special, or general election, including, but not limited to, registration, listing pursuant to this Act, or other action required by law prerequisite to voting, casting a ballot, and having such ballot counted properly and included in the appropriate totals of votes cast with respect to candidates for public or party office and propositions for which votes are received in an election.
(2) The term "political subdivision" shall mean any county or parish, except that, where registration for voting is not conducted under the supervision of a county or parish, the term shall include any other subdivision of a State which conducts registration for voting.

(d) In any action for a declaratory judgment brought pursuant to section 4 or section 5 of this Act, subpoenas for witnesses who are required to attend the District Court for the District of Columbia may be served in any judicial district of the United States: Provided, That no writ of subpoena shall issue for witnesses without the District of Columbia at a greater distance than one hundred miles from the place of holding court without the permission of the District Court for the District of Columbia being first had upon proper application and cause shown.

SEC. 15. Section 2004 of the Revised Statutes (42 U.S.C.1971), as amended by section 131 of the Civil Rights Act of 1957 (71 Stat. 637), and amended by section 601 of the Civil Rights Act of 1960 (74 Stat. 90), and as further amended by section 101 of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (78 Stat. 241), is further amended as follows:

(a) Delete the word "Federal" wherever it appears in subsections (a) and (c);

(b) Repeal subsection (f) and designate the present subsections (g) and (h) as (f) and (g), respectively.

SEC. 16. The Attorney General and the Secretary of Defense, jointly, shall make a full and complete study to determine whether, under the laws or practices of any State or States, there are preconditions to voting, which might tend to result in discrimination against citizens serving in the Armed Forces of the United States seeking to vote. Such officials shall, jointly, make a report to the Congress not later than June 30, 1966, containing the results of such study, together with a list of any States in which such preconditions exist, and shall include in such report such recommendations for legislation as they deem advisable to prevent discrimination in voting against citizens serving in the Armed Forces of the United States.

SEC. 17. Nothing in this Act shall be construed to deny, impair, or otherwise adversely affect the right to vote of any person registered to vote under the law of any State or political subdivision.

SEC. 18. There are hereby authorized to be appropriated such sums as are necessary to carry out the provisions of this Act

SEC 19. If any provision of this Act or the application thereof to any person or circumstances is held invalid, the remainder of the Act and the application of the provision to other persons not similarly situated or to other circumstances shall not be affected thereby.

Approved August 6, 1965.

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EnlargeDownload Link Citation: An act to enforce the fifteenth amendment to the Constitution of the United States and for other purposes, August 6, 1965; Enrolled Acts and Resolutions of Congress, 1789-; General Records of the United States Government; Record Group 11; National Archives View All Pages in the National Archives Catalog View Transcript This act was signed into law on August 6, 1965, by President Lyndon Johnson.