The right to vote has been contested throughout U.S. history. It took a long time, a Civil War, and many struggles to achieve universal voting rights that also included racial minorities and women—at least on paper. Only the Voting Rights Act in 1965 finally secured the right to vote for millions of African Americans in much of the U.S. South. That, however, has not made voting fully equal. There are still many hurdles to get registered and then actually cast a ballot. Ever since the Supreme Court in 2013 declared major parts of the Voting Rights Act unconstitutional (Shelby County v. Holder), the floodgates have opened for states to change their voting laws—oftentimes in highly partisan ways.

This teacher seminar will provide a deeper look at Constitutional and political developments regarding the right to vote, at the ongoing debate about and challenges to voting rights in the United States, and will also discuss reform efforts.

Schedule:
09:00 Intro
09:15 The U.S. Constitution, Voting Rights, and Elections
09:45 Fighting for the Universal Voting Right: Constitutional Amendments and the Voting Rights Act
11:00 Coffee Break
11:30 Shelby County v. Holder and the Consequences
12:15 Current Challenges and Possible Reforms
13:00 Open Discussion
14:00 End

Registration fee: € 10 per teacher seminar

Please register via our registration form or online via FIBS.
FIBS: Stiftung Bayerisches Amerikahaus gGmbH


Photo: @ Samuel Schroth / unsplash.com