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What is the historical context of voter suppression in the United States?

Siobhan Parzis

Well, little one, voter suppression is when people are prevented from voting, and it's been happening in the United States for a long time.

Historically, voter suppression has been used to keep certain groups of people from having a say in who gets elected. This has included Black people, Native Americans, women, and people who are poor.

One way this was done was by putting up obstacles to voting. For example, some states required people to pass a literacy test or pay a tax in order to vote. This kept many Black people from being able to vote, because they were often poor and not allowed to attend good schools.

Another way voter suppression was used was through violence and intimidation. Black people who tried to vote were sometimes beaten or killed. This made many people too afraid to even try to vote.

But over time, people have fought back against voter suppression. In the 1960s, for example, the Civil Rights Movement helped to pass laws that made it easier for people to vote. Things like the Voting Rights Act of 1965 helped to get rid of these discriminatory practices.

Today, some people are still trying to suppress the vote. They might try to close polling places in certain neighborhoods or require people to show certain forms of ID to vote. But people are still fighting back against these tactics, and working to make sure that everyone's vote counts.