The Missouri Bar Citizenship Education Program and HEC-TV Live in St. Louis will partner again this year to produce an interactive, televised program at the Thomas F. Eagleton U.S. Courthouse on Constitution Day, September 17, 2015. This year’s program is commemorating the 50th anniversary of the passage of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 and its impact on American life.
The Voting Rights Act of 1965 was signed into law by President Lyndon Johnson on August 6, 1965. The law aimed to end racial discrimination against African-Americans in voting at the state and local levels. The Constitution Day programming will delve into details of the provisions of the Voting Rights Act and the political, cultural and legal focuses that caused its passage. A panel of experts and participating students will discuss its impact on American life at the time of its passage and its continuing impact through court decisions and current state and national legislative initiatives.
The program will air twice at 10 a.m. and 1 p.m.
The Missouri Bar and HEC-TV Live are proud to host the Constitution Day Program for the eighth consecutive year. The program is designed for Missouri students in Grades 7 – 12 and for teachers to use in the classroom. The program won a Telly Award in 2011. More than 10,000 students from schools across the state typically join live by video streaming.
For more information about the Voting Rights Act of 1965, check out the 2015 Constitution Day Study Guide.
