The Voting Rights Act of 1965 is considered the crown jewel of the civil rights movement, perhaps the most important and effective civil rights legislation ever enacted by Congress, according to many scholars and others. In Shelby County, Ala. v. Holder, a key provision in the act faces a constitutional challenge carefully manufactured and funded by a leading opponent of racial classifications, Edward Blum of the Project on Fair Representation.
The target of the challenge is Section 5, which requires so-called covered jurisdictions states or parts of states with histories of voting discrimination to get preclearance, or approval, of any changes in their voting practices or policies from the U.S. Department of Justice or the federal district court in Washington.
