In Photos: Voting Rights in North Carolina

In the weeks leading-up to 50th Anniversary of the Voting Rights Act this month, civil rights activists in North Carolina were in the thick of a landmark trial challenging a state law that rolled back a key part of that Act. Plaintiffs in NAACP vs. McCrory argued that a Republican-controlled legislature knowingly passed the restrictive voting law (HB589) in 2013 to keep African Americans — who have voted overwhelmingly for Democrats since the 1930s — away from polling booths. The final decision, due later this year, could have nationwide impact for voters.

A few days after the trial concluded with closing arguments, VICE News caught up with the Reverend William Barber, who has been leading Moral Monday protests in North Carolina to rally support for the case that he has compared to "our own Selma." We also spoke to plaintiffs in the current and upcoming challenges to the state's restrictive voting rights law, including 94-year-old Rosanell Eaton, who, as a teen in the 1940s, successfully outsmarted polling officials by memorizing and reciting the preamble to the constitution at a local voting registration office.

All photos by Sara Lewkowicz for VICE

This story was produced with support from LG as part of the Photos from Beyond program — click to see more photos from this series. VICE News maintains all editorial independence in the production of this content.