How African Americans fought for the right to vote in the US presidential election

New Delhi:

Barack Obama made history as the first black president of the United States in 2009. But the journey to this monumental achievement was fraught with challenges and struggles for African Americans. Following the Civil War, with the abolition of slavery formalized by the 13th Amendment in 1865, approximately 4 million freed black Americans were eager to secure their place as full citizens, including the critical right to vote. However, the path to achieving this right was anything but simple.

The 15th Amendment, ratified in 1870, was intended to prohibit the denial of the right to vote based on race, color, or prior servitude. Despite this constitutional guarantee, many states used tactics such as literacy tests, poll taxes, and other discriminatory practices to disenfranchise black voters. This effectively reinstated the oppressive Black Codes, evolving into Jim Crow laws and enforcing racial segregation and systemic inequality for nearly a century. Several activists were even killed in their efforts to secure voter registration during this period.

Local laws enforced racial segregation in public facilities, creating a “separate but equal” society where schools, transportation, restrooms, and restaurants were divided along racial lines.

The civil rights movement of the 1950s and 60s brought these injustices to light, leading to significant legislative victories. The 24th Amendment, ratified in 1964, attempted to eliminate poll taxes in federal elections, further promoting the right to vote for African Americans.

The Voting Rights Act of 1965, signed by President Lyndon B. Johnson, sought to dismantle the barriers that had long prevented African Americans from voting. This landmark legislation led to an increase in the number and turnout of black voters.

But even after the Voting Rights Act, the fight for equal voting rights continued. In 2013, the Supreme Court’s decision in Shelby v. Holder struck down key provisions of the Voting Rights Act, leading to renewed efforts by some states to impose restrictions that disproportionately affected minority voters.