The Voting Rights Act passed in the U.S. in 1965. This landmark legislation aimed to eliminate racial discrimination in voting practices, particularly in southern states where Jim Crow laws had disenfranchised African Americans. The act prohibited literacy tests and other discriminatory practices and provided for federal oversight of voter registration and election procedures in areas with a history of voting discrimination. Its passage was a significant achievement of the civil rights movement, resulting in millions of African Americans gaining the right to vote, profoundly transforming American political landscapes and advancing social justice.