Since its founding, America has witnessed continuous struggles to expand the right to vote, evolving from a limited privilege to a more inclusive democratic right. When the U.S. Constitution was drafted in 1787, voting was largely restricted to white male property owners, representing a small fraction of the population. This exclusion left women, African Americans, Native Americans, and those without property voiceless in shaping the nation's political landscape.
One of the earliest expansions occurred in the early 19th century, when states began to eliminate property ownership requirements, allowing white men without land to vote. However, it wasn’t until after the Civil War that African American men were granted the right to vote with the passage of the 15th Amendment in 1870. Despite this, discriminatory practices such as literacy tests, poll taxes, and violence suppressed Black voters for decades, particularly in the South.
Women’s suffrage became a significant movement in the 19th century, culminating in the 1920 ratification of the 19th Amendment, which finally granted women the right to vote after decades of activism. But true voting equality was still far off. Native Americans were not fully enfranchised until 1924 with the Indian Citizenship Act, and it wasn’t until the Voting Rights Act of 1965 that many discriminatory barriers preventing African Americans from voting were removed.
Willie Velasquez was a key figure in expanding voting rights for Mexican Americans in Texas. As the founder of the Southwest Voter Registration Education Project (SVREP) in 1974, he led efforts to increase Latino voter registration and participation. His work focused on educating Mexican Americans about their voting rights and mobilizing them to vote, particularly in regions where their political influence had been historically suppressed. Velasquez’s dedication to civic engagement helped to enfranchise thousands of Mexican Americans, significantly transforming the political landscape in Texas and beyond by amplifying the Latino voice in elections across the United States.
More recently, activists have worked to extend voting rights to 18-year-olds through the 26th Amendment in 1971 and to challenge voter ID laws and gerrymandering, which critics argue disproportionately affect minorities. Throughout American history, the fight to expand voting rights has been a fundamental part of the nation’s democratic evolution, reflecting ongoing efforts to ensure that all citizens have a voice in their government.
Guest:
Marc Favreau is the director of editorial programs at the New Press and co-author (with Michael Eric Dyson) of "Unequal: A Story of America" and "Represent: The Unfinished Fight for The Vote."
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*This interview will be recorded on Tuesday, September 24, 2024.
