Essay on Voting Rights for African Americans - 1879 Words

A Vote for a Better Future nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;Black Americans of today need to register to vote and make use of their voting rights if they want to see a change to the current state of democracy. In the contemporary world of today Americans are said to be living in the most equal nation, one where its citizens are entitled to a variety of inalienable rights, one in particular being the right to vote. However this was not always the case. From the times of the late Malcolm X, we have not made much progress in our voting affairs. We have the choice and ability to vote, but are we as a people (the black community) utilizing these rights to the utmost? Have we been using our votes to our advantage, or making use of our votes†¦show more content†¦I think it is safe to say they wanted to use this to scare others from doing the same. The last case alone illustrates the influence of the vote. The National Newspaper Publishers Association also made efforts during this time to encourage greater Negro voter registration. It was quoted â€Å"We have seen men shot down in the streets as they moved to exercise the basic right of suffrage. We have seen, only recently, more than a dozen men in Mississippi lose their lives when they attempt to register to vote †¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"This alone should motivate every eligible man and woman to resolve now to vote in the coming presidential election.† These statements tie in with my survey question: Do you think African Americans take for granted the voting rights their ancestors fought so long for?, majority of survey takers, a good 55% either agreed strongly or moderately. nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;On many occasions Malcolm X testifies specifically about voting in the south. In the speech â€Å"With Mrs. Fannie Lou Hamer,† Malcolm affirms that because the black man is denied the right to vote in the south of the forty-six committees that had control the foreign and domestic direction of the country in 1964 twenty-three were in the hands of Southern racists. Another account concerning voting in the south, Malcolm testifies â€Å"†¦if Negroes could vote south of the Canadian border--south South, if Negroes could vote in the southern part of the South†¦Ã¢â‚¬  MalcolmShow MoreRelatedAfrican American Voting Rights For African Americans988 Words   |  4 PagesWhen Washington was delivering the Atlanta Exposition he claimed that â€Å"according of the full exercise of political rights is going to be a matter of natural, slow growth, not an over-night [Sic] gourd-vine affair†. However, Du Bois believed that it was necessary to agitate and upset to gain voting rights for African Americans, essentially believing that their freedom and their right to vote had to be explosive and upset the social order. Through political power, Du Bois felt that economic securityRead MoreVoting Rights Act of 1965766 Words   |  4 Pages My research topic is the Voting Rights Act of 1965, and I chose this topic because I always found it amusing that it took so long for African Americans to legally be allowed to vote. I also thought this topic was appropriate since we now have an African A merican president, and the African Americans citizens need to know that voting I important because we didn’t always have that right. II. Statement of research question, hypothesis Topic: Voting Rights Act of 1965 Issue:Read MoreReviewing The Constitutionality Of The Voting Rights Act1283 Words   |  6 Pages Summarizing and Analyzing Justice In 2013 a court case â€Å"Shelby County, Alabama v. Holder† that challenged the constitutionality of the Voting Rights Act, the Supreme Court in a 5-4 decision ruled that Section 4 of the Voting Rights Act of 1965, which was an act that †¦..was unconstitutional because it was based off of old data and no longer applied to those certain nine states which were Alabama, Texas, Alaska, Arizona, Georgia, South Carolina, Mississippi, Louisiana and Virginia. (Excerpt fromRead MoreThe Voting Rights Act Of 19651288 Words   |  6 Pagesimpacted the minority community. During this year, Congress passed the Voting Rights Act and the Immigration and Nationality Act Amendments. The Voting Rights Act of 1965 helped enforce the 15th Amendment and prohibited racial discrimination in voting. The Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965 abolished quotas based on nationality and allowed Americans to sponsor relatives from their countries of origin. The Voting Rights Act and the Immigrat ion and Naturalization Amendments of 1965 did not onlyRead MoreVoting Discrimination in African American Communities739 Words   |  3 Pages Discrimination in voting has been a prevalent issue in the African American community. Before the Voting Rights Act of 1965 poll taxes, literacy tests, and physical intimidation have prevented African Americans from voting. While this problem is widely recognized as an issue of the past it is still made possible through racial gerrymandering. This is an important matter because it has restricted fully entitled American citizens from voting. In 1870 Congress passed the fifteenth amendment, whichRead MoreEssay on Voting History In The United States of America1539 Words   |  7 PagesThroughout American history, many minority groups have encountered significant barriers to the right to vote. Traditionally, specific populations concerned with protecting their power over others have maintained tight control over this privilege. In doing so, violations of basic human rights have occurred; state and federal governments established voting restrictions based on race. Fortunately, several methods were taken for overcoming these limitations that resulted in the voting practices usedRead MoreThe Right Or Privilege Of Voting970 Words   |  4 PagesMany people of the modern day take for granted their right to vote. Assuming that it was a natural god given right that has been around since the dawn of politics, but that is not the case. Politics of the early to late 1800’s was paved with a road of tears, regret, blood, sweat , and most of all inequality. To understand some of the pitfalls and struggles some had faced, you must first understand some key concepts and terms. When referring to voting you may hear the terms franchise and suffrage comeRead MorePersuasive Speech : Bad Officials Are The Ones Elected By Good Citizens Who Do Not Vote 812 Words   |  4 PagesEnglish 1B 10a-12: 15p T/TH Wasted Voices â€Å"Bad officials are the ones elected by good citizens who do not vote.†-George Jean Nathan In today’s society all American Citizens of any race, ethnic background, religious belief, and sexual orientation have the privilege to vote. What is sad about it is that they chose not vote. The power of voting in society is a privilege that most of us take advantage of. Why is it that we complain about having bad governors, presidents, and unwanted laws, and stillRead MoreLyndon B. Johnsons Explaination of our Fundamental Rights in â€Å"American Promise: Message to Congress†1206 Words   |  5 PagesVoting rights have been a constant struggle for most people in America. During the eighteenth century, only property owning white men were able to vote. This means that the colored individuals and women were excluded from the basic right to vote. The southern white society deeply opposed the idea of African Americans voting, creating discriminating legislations furthering the problem in a society dominated by White Americans. Lyndon B. Johnson outlines the differences between the law and justiceRead MoreAfrican Americans Rights Treatment1577 Words   |  7 Pagestime, African Americans slaves were freed and given many rights by the U.S. government. African Americans’ rights treatment by white southerners during the times of 1880 and 1920 were unfair and unacceptable. The African American’s rights were oppressed by different methods that white southerners used to accomplish that. White southerners had a purpose for restricting African Americans from their rights that were given to them. The relationship between the white southerners and African Americans during