Abstract
Fifty years after the passage of the Voting Rights Act of 1965, there are still many questions about one of its signature achievements, the surge in black Congressional representation. This paper examines the legacy of the Voting Rights Act in terms of the differences between black and non-black members of Congress regarding bill sponsorship, black issue recognition, and responsiveness to black protest. The findings show that there are racial differences in overall bill sponsorship, but those disparities are driven by ideology, rather than race, when it comes to black issues. Black members of Congress are more responsive to black protest in the post-civil rights era, but they recognize black issues at a lower rate compared to black representatives prior to 1965. As a result, it seems that protest is necessary for black representation to reach its full potential.
