What is the significance of the Selma to Montgomery March (1965) in the context of voting rights?

• A. It highlighted barriers to voting and helped push the passage of the Voting Rights Act.
• B. It catalyzed federal funding for schools in the Deep South.
• C. It accelerated the expansion of literacy tests nationwide.
• D. It had no impact on federal voting policies.

Answer: (A)

The main idea the question tests is how the Selma to Montgomery March exposed the real barriers Black people faced at the ballot box and moved the nation to act. The march brought urgent attention to discriminatory voting practices, and the brutal police response on Bloody Sunday was broadcast nationwide, creating a surge of sympathy and demand for federal protection of voting rights. This pressure helped propel the signing and passage of the Voting Rights Act of 1965, which banned racial discrimination in voting and gave the federal government new authority to enforce voting rights, including preclearance for changes to election laws in areas with a history of discrimination. In short, the march highlighted voting barriers and directly contributed to a landmark federal remedy for those barriers.

It doesn’t fit other options because it wasn’t about funding schools (that’s a different policy area), it didn’t expand literacy tests (it aimed to remove discriminatory tests and barriers), and it certainly did affect federal voting policy rather than having no impact.