President Obama, Congressman John Lewis, and Others Mark the 50th Anniversary of the Voting Rights Act

Rep. John Lewis, D-Ga. introduces President Barack Obama, with Attorney General Loretta Lynch, to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Voting Rights Act, in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building South Court Auditorium, Aug. 6, 2015. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

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Fifty years ago, on August 6, 1965, President Lyndon Johnson signed the Voting Rights Act into law — a landmark piece of legislation breaking down barriers across the South that prevented countless African Americans from voting.

This afternoon, President Obama hosted a discussion here at the White House to mark the Act's 50th anniversary, featuring Congressman John Lewis, Attorney General Loretta Lynch, MSNBC's Melissa Harris-Perry, and others.

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