WI: U.S. Congress passes Voting Rights Act before 1964 Civil Rights Act?

It would be very difficult to get a voting-rights-only bill as the administration measure in 1963-4. One of the criticisms of the 1957 Act was precisely that it was essentially limited to voting rights (well, that and its ineffectiveness even in that respect). One of the major purposes of the 1963-4 push was precisely to finally get around to other areas of civil rights as well.
 
Another time the Republicans can take credit for passing the VRA is after they make big gains in the House and Senate in the 1946 Midterms elections, they could get enough votes from Democratic Senators from the North and East to overcome the Filibuster and potential veto by President Truman.

There has been analysis that Black voters gave Truman the margin of victory in states like California and couple of others in 1948
 
Another time the Republicans can take credit for passing the VRA is after they make big gains in the House and Senate in the 1946 Midterms elections, they could get enough votes from Democratic Senators from the North and East to overcome the Filibuster and potential veto by President Truman.

There has been analysis that Black voters gave Truman the margin of victory in states like California and couple of others in 1948

Actually, an anti-poll tax bill was successfully filibustered in the Senate in the 80th Congress. https://books.google.com/books?id=syQy7usR3sUC&pg=PA47

People underestimate just how hard it was to invoke cloture in those days. "The Senate tried 11 times between 1927 and 1962 to invoke cloture but failed each time." https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cloture (In 1957 the civil rights bill was weakened to the point that southerners decided not to filibuster it.)
 
I've got an earlier POD for this: the Republicans use a VRA with some teeth as a key condition to their support of FDR's domestic agenda during the War years. Especially with some adept propaganda, you could see an earlier generation faced with the "they can be drafted to die for this country, but can't vote" argument. . .
I like multiple possibilities dancing in one thread. And if you want to work this WWII timeline, more power to you.

For the time being, I'm mainly going to focus on 1960 to '63 possibilities.
 


Maybe if this argument had gained traction in the early '60s.

For so much effort is made arguing that there are differences between group averages or rebutting such arguments, for example, pointing out that test scores might have a lot to do with the quality of schools people go to.

The above graphic argument is saying, it doesn't really matter that much. Even if we assume big 'average' differences, there's a heck of a lot of overlap and the point of pride should be treating individuals as individuals.
 
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