Political Quotes

“I thank the chairwoman for her strong leadership, for sharing her perspective tonight, and for reminding us about the reality of the poll tax, the literacy tests, and the grandfather clauses that were once common mechanisms used to disadvantage minority voters, particularly African American voters. Tonight, Madam Speaker, again, we are recognizing the 150th anniversary after the ratification of the 15th Amendment. Tremendous gains were made during that Reconstruction period, where well over 2,000 Black men were elected to local, State, and Federal office, 16 of whom served in Congress. For instance, Hiram Rhodes Revels, the first African American Senator representing Mississippi, was elected to Congress in 1870. Senator Revels was sometimes called the 15th Amendment in flesh and blood. Senator Revels and his colleagues were only part of the story. All told, about 2,000 African Americans held public office at some level of government during Reconstruction. But, sadly, this happened in the face of literacy tests, poll taxes, and grandfather clauses, once the most common mechanisms used for disadvantaging minority voters. After the end of Reconstruction, these amendments were rarely enforced for nearly 100 years after their ratification. So even despite the fact that these gains were made, they were not enforced.…”