"In 1965, a group of ordinary citizens stood on the doorstep of history. On one side, the brutal reality they had lived since the final days of Reconstruction, one of white hoods and open caskets, strange fruit and sundown towns. On the other was the promise of true equality, which had eluded them for so long."
"The Voting Rights Act, signed into law five months later, codified what the Constitution had promised Black Americans for nearly a century. As we mark 61 years since that fateful march, we find ourselves at another inflection point-standing on another doorstep. But behind this door is not progress; it's regression."
"The measure would require American citizens to show documents like a passport or birth certificate to register to vote. The problem: Nearly half of Americans don't have a passport, and 69 million women could not use their birth certificate to prove their citizenship status because it doesn't match their current legal name."
The article draws parallels between 1965's Selma march and current voting rights challenges in 2026. The Selma march led to the Voting Rights Act, securing constitutional promises for Black Americans. Today, two developments threaten this progress: a Postal Service procedure change affecting mail-in voting and the SAVE America Act requiring citizenship documents for voter registration. The act's requirements—passports or birth certificates—would exclude nearly half of Americans without passports and 69 million women whose birth certificates don't match current legal names. These measures represent regression rather than progress on voting rights.
Read at The Nation
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