On August 6, 1965, during the height of the Civil Rights Movement, President Lyndon Johnson signed The Voting Rights Act of 1965, which prohibited racial discrimination in voting. Although the Fifteenth Amendment had already given male African American citizens the right to vote, many Southern states had various forms of intimidation and violence, including literacy tests, to suppress their vote. The Voting Rights Act finally provided a means to fight voter restrictions and encourage more African Americans to go to the polls.
Since its passing, the Voting Rights Act has been viewed as one of the most important pieces of legislation in American history. Looking back at it now, did the Voting Rights Act meet the goals that it had set? Is voter suppression still a problem today? If so, what methods are now used to fight it? If not, how does the country now guarantee that all citizens can have an equal say in the government?
Research proposal should be between 500 – 800 words. In your research proposal, be sure to cover the following components for each prompt:
The prompt and questions you want to address
Your thesis (your position regarding the main question you address)
Your goals for the paper
Supporting details
How and what you will research to support your thesis
It should be clear from your proposal not just which two prompts you have selected, but how you intend to focus, develop, and prove them. Regardless of which prompts you choose, evidence from reputable sources must be used to support your claims
