The Right to Vote

While modern-day American readers may take the right to vote as a given, Americans of the 1960s were locked in a battle over that right. The registrars had total control of who would be allowed to vote, and blacks were denied the right for trivial and illegal reasons. Activists of the time put their time, energy, and lives on the line to fight that injustice because blacks would otherwise remain a segment of the population without political representation.

Up until the federal government steps in with a law on the issue, the registrars of each county was given full say in granting registrations. There is a literacy test that the registrar can choose to administer, but as a rule, only blacks are subjected to the test. The test itself is designed for failure and the answers are subjective, meaning the registrar can still choose to...