Black History Month just got an important new date that may or may not be celebrated in future years.

The Supreme Court announced Monday that it will hear oral arguments on Feb. 27 in a challenge to a key provision of the Voting Rights Act. In Shelby County v. Holder, justices will consider the section of the law that requires all or parts of 16 states with a history of racial discrimination to get any changes to their voting laws pre-cleared by the Justice Department before they can be implemented.

It is the second race-based case the high court is weighing. In October it heard a challenge to the University of Texas' admissions policy, which could affect how affirmative action is applied in higher education.

Speaking at the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library last week, Attorney General Eric Holder argued that despite how far the nation has come on civil rights, the section of the Voting Rights Act being challenged is "essential to safeguarding the voting rights of millions across the country."

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(Photo: Mario Tama/Getty Images)