Voting rights have been a crucial issue throughout Black history in the United States. Following the Civil War and the passage of the 15th Amendment in 1870, which prohibited denial of voting rights based on race, Black people were theoretically granted the right to vote. However, discriminatory practices such as literacy tests, poll taxes, and intimidation tactics were widely used to disenfranchise Black voters in the South.

The Voting Rights Act of 1965 was a landmark piece of legislation that aimed to combat these discriminatory practices. It outlawed literacy tests and other barriers to voting, and provided for federal oversight of elections in areas with a history of voter suppression. As a result, the number of registered Black voters in the South increased significantly, and African Americans began to hold political office in greater numbers.

Despite these gains, challenges to voting rights persist to this day. Voter suppression tactics such as voter ID laws, gerrymandering, and purging of voter rolls disproportionately impact Black communities. The fight for voting rights continues to be a significant issue in the ongoing struggle for racial justice and equality.