Strengthen the voting rights of African Americans. It gives the attorney general authority to seek a court order declaring a person qualified to vote when the court finds a "pattern or practice" of discrimination based on race or color.
In 1957, Congress passed the first Civil Rights Act to become law in 82 years. Among other things, it authorized the attorney general to file lawsuits on behalf of African-Americans who had been denied the right to vote. It also created a federal commission on civil rights.
