Which two acts are most closely associated with ending segregation and protecting voting rights?

• A. The Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965
• B. The Fair Housing Act of 1968
• C. The Equal Rights Amendment
• D. The Education Amendments of 1972

Answer: (A)

Two landmark laws from the Civil Rights era directly tackle desegregation and voting rights. The Civil Rights Act of 1964 bans segregation in public accommodations and outlawed discrimination in employment and federally funded programs, which helps dismantle the legal framework of segregation across society. The Voting Rights Act of 1965 targets barriers to voting, prohibiting discriminatory practices at the polls and authorizing federal oversight to ensure equal access to the ballot. Taken together, these two acts became the primary legal tools for ending segregation and protecting the right to vote.

The other acts address important rights but not in the same direct way. The Fair Housing Act focuses on housing discrimination, the Equal Rights Amendment aims at gender equality, and the Education Amendments of 1972 address education rights—areas that, while related to civil rights, do not center on desegregation and suffrage to the same extent.