Along Racial Lines: Consequences of the 1965 Voting Rights Act

Along Racial Lines fully explores the legislative and legal history, scope, impact, and implications of voting rights law in the United States. David Michael Hudson examines the history of minority elective franchise since the Constitution, explaining legislative changes while focusing on the actions and impacts of the courts. The work concentrates on court interpretations of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 and its amendments. To give readers a greater understanding of the effects of the act, the author plunges deeply into the history, society, and lives of three communities, representing each of three major American minority groups. The story of Dallas, Texas, tells of the struggle of blacks for representation in city government. The story of Dade County, Florida, depicts the power of voter participation as Hispanic immigrants assumed political control. Finally, the history of the Navajo Reservation in Arizona portrays enhancements to the political influence of the largest Native American tribe in North America.