The Latest issue of Black Voices – Volume 21
The repeated attempts to suppress the Black vote underscore its importance as a fundamental right of citizenship, with privileges and responsibilities essential to protecting our democracy.
Why suppress it—fear, power, ignorance, or control? Perhaps Frederick Douglass was right when he said in 1865, “Slavery is not abolished until the Black man has the ballot.”
Legislation, poll taxes, literacy and competency tests, intimidation, violence, and murder were just a few of the means used to suppress the black vote. Jim Crow laws, Black Codes, segregation, lynchings, and mass incarceration are specific examples of our democracy’s response to those who helped to make America great and in return asked for freedom, inclusion, and equality.
The passage of the Voting Rights Act of 1965, which imposed mandates on the states most resistant to Black political power, offered hope. However, more recent Supreme Court decisions in 2013 and 2026 weakened protections against voter suppression. In 2020, 35 states introduced bills that would restrict black voting, and in 2025, 47 states introduced 360 bills with similar provisions. Along with that, gerrymandering has been added to the list of strategies to prevent black voting.
Too many individuals have been injured or slaughtered by those who lust for power. Medgar Evers was killed in 1963. During the march from Selma to Montgomery, both black and white participants were greeted with violence and threats. Three young voting rights activists, James Chaney, Andrew Goodman, and Michael Schwerner, were killed in Mississippi in 1964 while working in a voter registration campaign. Dr. Martin Luther King was assassinated while continuing his voting rights and civil rights campaign. Throughout the centuries, many martyrs sacrificed their lives for rights defined by their humanity and citizenship.
American democracy cannot survive unless all citizens can share in governing the country. The Constitution gave the power to govern to“We the People.” Black Americans represent 12% of eligible voters. If their voice and vote are not included, there is no true democracy.
Derrick Johnson, President and CEO of the NAACP, states, “Your vote is the most important currency you have. It is the one thing that every citizen holds equally, regardless of income, zip code, last name.” President Joe Biden reminded us that “Democracy is not a Spectator Sport.” Every potential and eligible voter is obliged to vote. One should never underestimate the power of the vote. It is the most powerful tool that we, as citizens, have to create a more perfect union. While affirming our citizenship and entitlements, the vote reenforces our obligation to work on behalf of our democracy. It also allows us to honor the legacy of our ancestors who courageously challenged the assaults on our rights.
We must protect the American dream for future generations by voting with purpose and careful deliberation. Believe in the power of your vote, and hope will replace despair and indifference.
