take ya a** to the bALLOT: The History of Black Suffrage and Why All Black People Should Vote
With the 2024 election right around the corner, I’ve started hearing the same nonsense from people in my community- “My vote doesn’t matter, so I’m not doing it.” I hear this every election year. As a Black person who knows the power of a vote and the price paid so that we could have it, it’s disheartening to hear. It’s damn-near heartbreaking. Instead of ranting, I’ll share the history of Black voting in America so that you can see how serious it is. So, shut up and read.
The Fourteenth Amendment was passed in 1866, which granted African-Americans the right to be citizens in the U.S. The only issue was it didn’t say anything about voting, which was something all citizens were supposed to have the right to do. Based on a technicality, Black people weren’t legally granted the right to vote- they could be refused, threatened, beat up, or killed just for trying to. Eventually, the Fifteenth Amendment was passed, saying that every man (not women yet) could vote regardless of Race, Color, or history of servitude. However, even with that, many Black men were still denied the right to vote. Because the states had the say-so over voting regulations. That meant they could come up with bullshit laws to prevent people from voting. The “Grandfather Clause” was one of the most notable bullshit laws. The clause said that a man could only vote if his grandfather was able to vote- obviously, if your grandfather was a Black man alive before Black people were even considered people, he couldn’t. Eventually, the NAACP (National Association of the Advancement of Colored People) took it to the Supreme Court and it was banned for being unconstitutional. That was one of the many ways states tried to stop people of color from voting. Not to mention that even if someone took their unfair rights to court and the courts ruled in favor of the Black people, many states still could not stop them from voting anyhow because the rulings weren’t enforced. Again, legally Black People could vote, but the law wasn't gonna defend them while doing it.
In order for a person to be able to cast a vote, they have to register first. During the Jim Crow era, that was made difficult for Black people. The law said they could register but oftentimes they were threatened if they tried to. Their lives, jobs, families, and properties were threatened. These threats could come from anywhere- their employer, neighbors, or random people on the street. This meant that even if they wanted to vote, they had to weigh if the price was even worth it. Many thought it wasn’t. This led to Black organizations holding protests and rallies- which were usually made violent by opposing white people. In 1965, President Johnson was summoned by protesters to come to Selma, Alabama to put a stop to the treatments that tried to prevent Black votes. The march was shown on national TV. The broadcast showed protestors being brutalized during the march, especially by police. It led to a national outcry. President Johnson eventually responded and urged Congress to pass a voting rights bill. The bill got passed. Eventually, everyone had an equally fair opportunity to vote without having to worry about repercussions.
I voted in the 2024 Presidential Election
All of this is to say that Black people faced threats, violence, and fear all so you could have the right to say who you want in your government offices. That’s not something to take lightly or for granted. Yeah, it can seem like a hassle to vote, especially on voting day where you have to stand in line. But some things are worth the agitation. Our ancestors probably roll over in their graves when they hear Black people say they refuse to vote. Take ya ass to the polls and show those before you and those who come after you that you don’t take Black history for granted. If our vote “didn’t matter” there wouldn’t have been white people trying to kill us for doing it. If our vote “didn’t matter”, there wouldn’t be an ex-president convicted of trying to cheat his way around them. If they “didn’t matter”, why were people in 1965 being trampled by police horses and attacked with tear gas to protest how unfair their rights were? They do matter. So go vote. As of this posting, early voting is still going on, so if you don’t want to wait in that long ass line on voting day, you don’t have to. Just do it. You owe our people that. Yes, it is that deep. No, I’m not doing too much.
