Your Vote Matters!
The African-American Vote: Why it Matters
The African-American Vote: Why it Matters
African-Americans have struggled long and hard for the right the vote in America. Americans of African descent, free or enslaved, were now allowed to vote until ratification of the 15th Amendment in 1870. The 15th Amendment prohibits any state or federal government from infringing on a citizens right to vote “on account of race, color, or previous condition of servitude.”
But, with many states imposing polling taxes and/or impossibly-difficult “tests” to keep African-Americans from voting, a practice known as Jim Crow or Black Codes, a majority of African-Americans voted for the first time in 1965, after the ratification of the 24th Amendment and the Voting Rights Act.
And while enormous strides have been made, many African-Americans, Latinos, low-income, and underrepresented Americans are still fighting against discriminatory policies and practices at the ballot box. As recent as 2004, members of the African-American community in Ohio raised flags over polling place irregularities and injustice.
On a positive note, the non-violent methods of civil disobedience developed by African-American civil rights organizations during the 1960’s are still being successfully implemented the world over to counter injustice and inequality.
Voting Rights and Requirements
• Some states require that you show an ID when going to vote. You will need to show your identification if it’s your first time voting and you registered by mail. Learn about the identification requirements in your state.
• If you need help reading or filling out your ballot, you have the right to bring someone with you or ask for help at your polling place.
• Some states are required to provide voting materials in other languages.
• You have the right to vote in secrecy and not be intimidated.
• Some states ban the wearing of “campaign materials” (i.e., hats, pin, t-shirts, or buttons supporting the candidate) in the polling place.
To report problems with voting or to find out if there will be materials in Spanish or in other languages at your polling place, call toll-free: 1 (888) 839-8682 [1 (888) Ve-Y-Vota]
The Voting Rights Act prohibited racial discrimination in voting and guaranteed that citizens who need language assistance are not denied access to voting. Read more about the Voting Rights Act:
In English
In Spanish
In Chinese
In Korean
Open Mic Comments
Alternative education search engine marketing, also known as non-traditional education or educational alternative, is a broad term that may be used website hosting to refer to all forms of education outside of traditional education (for all age groups and levels of education). This may include not only forms of education designed for students with special needs (ranging from teenage pregnancy to intellectual dedicated server disability), but also forms of education designed for a general audience and employing wireless internet service alternative educational philosophies and methods.