From about 1900 to 1965, most African Americans were not allowed to vote in the South. This was especially true in the Deep South: Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, and South Carolina.
White people in power used many methods to keep African Americans from voting. Some of these methods also prevented poor white people from voting.
Ways People Were Kept From Voting
1) Violence: Blacks who tried to vote were threatened, beaten, and killed. Their families were also harmed. Sometimes their homes were burned down. Often, they lost their jobs or were thrown off their farms.
Whites used violence to intimidate blacks and prevent them from even thinking about voting. Still, some blacks passed the requirements to vote and took the risk. Some whites used violence to punish those “uppity” people and show other blacks what would happen to them if they voted.
May 7, 1955 · Belzoni, Mississippi Rev. George Lee, one of the first black people registered to vote in Humphreys County, used his pulpit & his printing press to urge others to vote. White officials offered Lee protection on the condition he end his voter registration efforts, but Lee refused & was murdered.
August 13, 1955 · Brookhaven, Mississippi Lamar Smith was shot dead on the courthouse lawn by a white man in broad daylight while dozens of people watched. The killer was never indicted because no one would admit they saw a white man shoot a black man. Smith had organized blacks to vote in a recent election.
September 25, 1961 · Liberty, Mississippi Herbert Lee, who worked with civil rights leader Bob Moses to help register black voters, was killed by a state legislator who claimed self-defense and was never arrested. Louis Allen, a black man who witnessed the murder, was later also killed.
January 31, 1964 · Liberty, Mississippi Louis Allen, who witnessed the murder of civil rights worker Herbert Lee, endured years of threats, jailings and harassment. He was making final arrangements to move north on the day he was killed.
January 10, 1966 · Hattiesburg, Mississippi Vernon Ferdinand Dahmer, a wealthy businessman, offered to pay poll taxes for those who couldn’t afford the fee required to vote. The night after a radio station broadcasted Dahmer’s offer, his home was firebombed. Dahmer died later from severe burns.
Ellie Dahmer, wife of Vernon Dahmer of Hattiesburg, who was killed in 1966 by the Ku Klux Klan for offering to pay poll taxes for those who couldn’t afford the fee required to vote. Dahmer was targeted because he encouraged fellow African-Americans to register to vote
Four sons of Vernon Dahmer, who was murdered for offering to pay poll taxes for those who couldn’t afford the fee required to vote,dressed in their military uniforms & overlooking the rubble of the family home. (Six of his seven sons served in the armed forces a total of 78 years
Harry T. Moore: An African-American teacher, founder of the first branch of the NAACP in Brevard County, Florida. He led the Progressive Voters League. Harry T. Moore and his wife, Harriette’s home was bombed on Christmas Day. Both died from their wounds.
2) Literacy tests: Today almost all adults can read. One hundred years ago, however, many people – black and white – were illiterate. Most illiterate people were not allowed to vote. A few were allowed if they could understand what was read to them. White officials usually claimed that whites could understand what was read. They said blacks could not understand it, even if they could.
3) Property tests: In the South one hundred years ago, many states allowed only property owners to vote. Many blacks and whites had no property and could not vote.
The Ocoee massacre was a white mob attack on African-American residents in northern Ocoee, Florida, which occurred on November 2, 1920, the day of the U.S. presidential election. The race riot started as a result of white attempts to suppress black voting.
James Earl Chaney, Andrew Goodman and Michael Henry Schwerner, young civil rights workers, were arrested by a deputy sheriff and then released into the hands of Klansmen who had plotted their murders. They were shot, and their bodies were buried in an earthen dam.
June 24, 1964, photo shows the burned station wagon of Michael Schwerner, Andrew Goodman and James Chaney in a swampy area near Philadelphia, Miss. The bodies of the men were found later in an earthen dam. Their deaths inspired the 1988 movie “Mississippi Burning”
Jimmie Lee Jackson was beaten and shot by state troopers as he tried to protect his grandfather and mother from a trooper attack on civil rights marchers. His death led to the Selma-Montgomery march and the eventual passage of the Voting Rights Act.
March 25, 1965 · Selma Highway, Alabama Viola Gregg Liuzzo, a housewife and mother from Detroit, drove alone to Alabama to help with the Selma march after seeing televised reports of the attack at the Edmund Pettus Bridge. She was ferrying marchers between Selma and Montgomery when she was shot and killed by a Klansmen in a passing car.
4) Grandfather clause: People who could not read and owned no property were allowed to vote if their fathers or grandfathers had voted before 1867. Of course, practically no blacks could vote before 1867, so the grandfather clause worked only for whites.
5) All-white primary elections
6) Purges: From time to time, white officials purged the voting rolls. That means they took people’s names off the official lists of voters.
7) Former prisoners: People who had gone to prison were often not allowed to vote. Blacks were very often arrested on trumped-up charges or for minor offenses.
8) Poll taxes: In Southern states, people had to pay a tax to vote. The taxes were about $25 to $50 dollars in today’s money. Many people had extremely low incomes and could not afford this tax. This poll tax applied to all people who wanted to vote – black and white. There were ways for whites to get around other laws, but not around the poll tax. Many poor whites could not vote because of the poll tax.
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If you are on a LONG LINE to #vote, call in the address and Pizza to the Polls will send 🔥FREE PIZZA🔥 to make your wait more delicious. Democracy is priority #1. #VOTEhttps://t.co/5NAjJNtbbg
Nine months after 17 classmates and teachers were gunned down, survivors of the Parkland school shooting are voting for the first time: https://t.co/08KSizJDzI
This is unbelievable. Kemp refused federal government's help to secure GA voting system in 2016 saying they were trying to "subvert the Constitution." Because of him GA one of 14 states to use electronic voting machines with no paper backups https://t.co/ZLdSnWmTK0
Georgia is not a “red state.” It’s a state in transition w/ a new electorate ready to reconstruct democracy. @staceyabrams is uniquely qualified to lead this new Georgia. It’s not just black folks out here working—it’s black, white, brown & Native working together.
"I was a Republican, until they voted against my son."
Tasha Nelson, a former swing voter and mother of a 7-year-old with cystic fibrosis, talks about pre-existing conditions—and why she won't vote for any Republican who voted to weaken Obamacare.https://t.co/oizFOu69Fa
Today is big day of "Souls to the Polls" early voting in states like Florida. North Carolina GOP admitted in court it eliminated Sunday voting because "counties with Sunday voting were disproportionately black and disproportionately Democratic" https://t.co/mM7vjAyVPgpic.twitter.com/WGRsiAjSzg
.@BrianKempGA sees the numbers and knows he’s losing. Knock the doors, hit the dialer, or hustle some texts. All hands on deck and don’t forget down ballot local and state candidates. #gapolhttps://t.co/BzJqp3OMlh
"It is my duty … I could not let my silence or civility connote acquiescence."
Capt. Sully Sullenberger says he's voting for Democrats to save our democracy from a President who is not capable or willing to change. https://t.co/Qa3i2vFJbE
Democratic House candidates lead Republicans 52-44% among likely voters in the final @ABC News/Washington Post pre-election poll. Their lead has narrowed from 14 percentage points in August to eight points now.@TomLlamasABC breaks down the 2018 map https://t.co/JCdH9ctCkvpic.twitter.com/peEkrLtTHA
Stacey Abrams, the Georgia Democratic gubernatorial candidate, says the state would not need to raise taxes to fund her plan for medicaid expansion #CNNSOTUpic.twitter.com/kwoxgXFWW2
How do you leak info of 6 million people, wipe a server, and then have the audacity to investigate your opponents party for cyber crimes?!? #gapolhttps://t.co/G66SkLrket
This is ALL the bigots have….their ignorant racism.
This racist right-wing robocall from Georgia imitating Oprah to smear Stacey Abrams is abhorrent. Disgraceful that in 2018 conservative America is still using the bigoted strategies of the George Wallaces and Lee Atwaters. pic.twitter.com/Ml0ZdCh5qg
I'm under the impression that the @GOP's visits to Russia throughout the year were a strategic effort to get Russia to aid them with rigging the midterms. The fact that they're "over-seeing" election integrity in some states and appearing in close-race districts is concerning.
Kemp is also allowing International Observers in Georgia, but they are coming only to Fulton County!! Yes, I can provide “receipts”, but I did not find this info myself. A friend of mine in the Georgia Sunshine project found it.
12/ Recall that it was a "rare error" on a memory card in FULTON COUNTY, Rick Barron's county, that caused the counting stop when Ossoff was head the night of the primary. https://t.co/f2Nykf7bVS
Russian Election Official is in regular contact w/ Elections Director of Fulton County, the most populous county in Georgia, which had that “glitch” in the GA06 special election of 2017. She is now in MONTANA where Trump held a rally on Sat. If u are with the media, pls DM me.
The Russian election official’s name is Julya Kudaneeva. She appears (not certain) to be the daughter of Sergei Kudaneeva, the Putin prosecutor in the Magnitsky case. She has been traveling the US since October. Listed in here: https://t.co/o0in4fe727
Taylor Swift announces on Instagram that she cast an early vote for Democratic Senate candidate Phil Bredesen in Tennessee, and urged others in the state to do the same. https://t.co/CNIYs0nCMd
Florida Democratic gubernatorial candidate Andrew Gillum says President Trump, his opponent Ron DeSantis and others should be "careful" with rhetoric: "The fact that, that kind of rhetoric and disagreement is now leading to political violence … is unacceptable" pic.twitter.com/zjveAYo5Db
.@staceyabrams-What Georgians want is a governor who understands that connection–that #Medicaid expansion is also about making sure their children get a good education. I understand the connection… If we do the right thing all of us are lifted up. #Midterms2018#Georgia#AMJoypic.twitter.com/kHejDDnpzY
From Stacey Abrams to Lauren Underwood, here are five black women candidates poised to make history on Tuesday, @MsPackyetti writes https://t.co/AShOLMiQAB
Florida means land of flowers It was on a Christmas night. In the state named for the flowers Men came bearing dynamite … It could not be in Jesus' name Beneath the bedroom floor On Christmas night the killers Hid the bomb for Harry Moore pic.twitter.com/8ej8hrbUeE
Harry T. Moore paved the way for the ‘60s civil rights movement by championing equal pay for black teachers, organizing the black vote. The Moore's house was bombed on Christmas Day 1951. #MartyrsForTheRightToVotepic.twitter.com/LcmNP6avwh
Even though 3Chics Politico is written and curated by three women: Ametia, Rikyrah, and SouthernGirl2, I must nominate this as one of the most engaging blogs I've found. Devoted to politics and culture, these three shine a light on contemporary life with humor and spirit.
From about 1900 to 1965, most African Americans were not allowed to vote in the South. This was especially true in the Deep South: Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, and South Carolina.
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North Carolina A&T students walked two miles from campus to vote early
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Dear Puerto Ricans. #VoteDem
Remember when this happened and you were abandoned by this Administration while you endured monumental sufferings?
On November 6th, you can tell this bigot to KissYourAss. KARMA! Its what’s for dinner!
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Trust, if there are any cyber crimes being committed, it’s Kemp with the help of the Russians.
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Keep on Pushing, folks. Vote @AndrewGillum @staceyabrams @BetoORourke @BenJealous. Vote people! #BringItHome
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#SoulsToThePolls………………………………….#BringItHome
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LOOK! 😍😍😍
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Mythe! Great photo, and great being on the ground, Lady.
This is how it’s done. Hit the pavement and get to know the candidates. I’d love to know if Mythe asked Beto O’Rouke any questions and his answers.
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I’m betting Mythe asked questions and got answers.
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Just wondering if Scully voted for 45 in 2016, thinking he would change.
Seriously, I can’t handle folks acting all brand new about that POS
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Vote folks! What people say they’re going to do, and what they actually DO…
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PAPER BALLOTS, MMOTHERFUCKER!
Oh wait, you’re responsible for not having those too.
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This is ALL the bigots have….their ignorant racism.
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Thank you for this. You nailed it.
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VOTE, MY PEOPLE! VOTE!
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BRING.THAT.TRUTH.
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Yes!
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