When the Supreme Court struck down what remained of the Voting Rights Act on Wednesday, it completed the reversal of one of the signature achievements of the civil rights movement of the 1960s.
Previously, black people in the segregated South and elsewhere faced obstacles to voting; the Voting Rights Act provided a remedy for that problem.
But racism is deeply engrained in American society, not just in the South but everywhere and the problem has become more complex as America has gotten more diverse.
When it comes to the progressive era of civil rights, I remember attending and covering the last demonstration led by Martin Luther King — it was in Memphis in late March 1968. At that march, a mixture of hope and fear hung in the air over our heads as thick as the Beale Street Blues.
Hope that change might yet be possible; fear that violence might lay just around the corner. Both proved to be true. MLK was assassinated a week later and the Voting Rights Act proved to be his greatest legacy.
Sadly, the rights of our non-white citizens have now reverted to their pre-movement status of 60 years ago, thanks to a reactionary Court packed by Trump. What will be required is a new movement to reclaim those rights on behalf of everyone.
HEADLINES:
Supreme Court Further Weakens Voting Rights Act (NYT)
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