What to know about the Voting Rights Act after historic Supreme Court decision 

In a 6-3 decision on Wednesday, the Supreme Court struck down Louisiana’s second majority Black congressional district, ruling it an unconstitutional gerrymander. 

The ruling has significant implications for future applications of the Voting Rights Act (VRA), which activists have long used to push for new electoral lines that protect the voting power of historically disenfranchised voting groups, including Black voters. 

The Louisiana district had been redrawn to address complaints that the original map violated Section 2 of the VRA. 

The NAACP called the high court’s ruling a “devastating blow” to the landmark civil rights legislation. 

Here’s what you need to know about this act:

A landmark civil rights law

President Lyndon Johnson signed the VRA into law on Aug. 6, 1965, during a time of immense advocacy from activists within the Civil Rights Movement to ensure fair voting practices at the ballot box. 

The law opened the door for thousands of voters to go to the polls during a time when Black voters faced........

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