Voting Rights Act anniversary fuels documentary and voter‑suppression debate

A new 27‑minute short documentary, *Selma Sisters March On*, recounts how teenage sisters Alice and Denise Thomas joined the 1965 Selma‑to‑Montgomery marches in Alabama, illustrating the historic fight that led to the Voting Rights Act (VRA). The film combines their personal recollections with archival footage, highlighting the VRA’s role in ending literacy tests and other discriminatory voting barriers.

On the 61st anniversary of the VRA, League of Women Voters CEO Celina Stewart told The Root that recent Supreme Court rulings—most notably *Shelby County v. Holder* (2013) and *Louisiana v. Callais*—have weakened federal oversight, allowing new forms of voter suppression. Stewart warned that the proposed SAVE Act, presented as an election‑security measure, could create additional obstacles for women who change names, rural residents, and military voters, calling it “explicit voter suppression.” The discussion comes as the United States heads toward midterm elections, underscoring ongoing challenges to voting access.