Moving Forward with Hope

Abstract

Even if you don't live in the United States, you are likely well aware of the recent US Presidential election. A record number voted; 66.5% of eligible voters cast ballots, the highest turnout rate since 1900. 1 NPRPresident-elect Joe Biden hits 80 million votes in year of record turnout. https://www.npr.org/2020/11/25/937248659/president-elect-biden-hits-80-million-votes-in-year-of-record-turnoutDate accessed: November 27, 2020 Google Scholar Of course in 1900, eligible voters included only men. African Americans and other people of color faced barriers at the polls, including poll taxes, literacy tests, and intimidation. 2 Library of Congress: Voting rights for African Americans. https://www.loc.gov/classroom-materials/elections/right-to-vote/voting-rights-for-african-americansDate accessed: November 27, 2020 Google Scholar It has only been since 1920 that women finally won the right to vote. As I am learning new realities of history beyond what I was taught in elementary school, I have learned that Native American women were not granted citizenship and the right to vote until 1924, with the Indian Citizenship Act, although some state laws still barred Native Americans from voting long after this date. Lyndon Johnson's Voting Rights Act was signed into law in 1965 (within my memory of current events), only belatedly outlawing discriminatory prerequisites to voting. My husband has his Texas poll tax receipt from 1964.