Voting rights have been a significant and hard-fought issue in Black history in the United States. African Americans have faced numerous barriers to voting, including literacy tests, poll taxes, intimidation, violence, and other forms of discrimination. Despite the passage of the 15th Amendment in 1870, which prohibited the denial of voting rights based on race, many states continued to enact laws and practices to disenfranchise Black citizens.

The Civil Rights Movement of the 1950s and 1960s played a crucial role in securing voting rights for African Americans. The Voting Rights Act of 1965 was a landmark piece of legislation that aimed to overcome legal barriers at the state and local levels that prevented African Americans from exercising their right to vote. The Act outlawed literacy tests and other discriminatory practices and provided federal oversight of voting practices in states with a history of voter suppression.

Despite these victories, the fight for voting rights continues today. Efforts to suppress the vote of minorities, including African Americans, persist through voter ID laws, purges of voter rolls, and other tactics. Organizations like the NAACP, the National Urban League, and the ACLU continue to advocate for voting rights and work to ensure that all citizens have equal access to the ballot box.