Landmark civil rights law in jeopardy?

U.S. Supreme Court conservatives today sharply criticized a central part of the 1965 Voting Rights Act that is aimed at more than a dozen states with a history of racial discrimination.

It is the second major race case heard by the justices since Barack Obama became America's first black president.

The justices seemed split along conservative and liberal lines in considering a provision applying to all or parts of 16 states, mostly in the South. It requires them to get federal government approval before changing their voting procedures.

Congress adopted the Voting Rights Act in 1965 to make it easier for people of color to exercise their right to vote.

Congress extended it in 2006 for 25 years, with then-President George W. Bush signing it into law.

Last week the justices considered whether race still can be used as a factor for job promotions and hirings, an issue that could affect millions of employers nationwide.

Opponents of the voting rights law argue that the protections for minority voters are no longer needed after more than 40 years of progress, and they cite Obama's election as evidence of how America has changed since 1965.

Defenders of the measure say minority voters still face discrimination in some local elections.

The legal challenge was brought by a Texas municipal utility district. It says it should be exempt from the law and that it should be struck down.

The Associated Press is following the story.


Tags: Supreme Court, Law, Voter Right, Civil Rights, Race, Education by Sistrunk

Ruby Bridges still fights to keep hope alive

What happened to the girl in the Norman Rockwell painting?

Ruby Bridges was just six years old when she became the face of school integration in 1960. Now, as NBC's Martin Savidge reports, she's helping to save the school that made her famous.

Related: The Ruby Bridges Foundation


Tags: ruby bridges, civil rights, katrina, new orleans, educational equity, racism, race, education, k-12, public school education, african-american, education by sistrunk