The 15th Amendment to the United States Constitution was ratified on February 3, 1870. It granted African American men the right to vote by declaring that the "right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of race, color, or previous condition of servitude."

The 15th Amendment was a significant milestone in Black history as it aimed to ensure that African Americans, who had been systematically disenfranchised and denied the right to vote, could participate in the democratic process. However, despite this legal protection, many obstacles such as literacy tests, poll taxes, intimidation, and violence were employed to prevent Black men from exercising their right to vote in the post-Reconstruction era. It was not until the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s that further legislation, such as the Voting Rights Act of 1965, was passed to enforce the 15th Amendment and protect the voting rights of African Americans.