This Black History Month, I want to elaborate on a theme that I write about in my book, Uncounted: The Crisis of Voter Suppression in America. That theme is,  “Free at last, not so fast”. 

After the passage of the 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments, Black men were able to register and vote, and indeed they did. Out of slavery, they were able to elect more than 2,000 Black men to office, from U.S. Senators to judges. With a focus on voting and education, they also created school boards. 

The freedom of Reconstruction was short-lived. White landowners in power wanted to stay in power. Just as the law was used to give formerly enslaved people freedom, it was also used to take it away. 

This historical pattern of progress and backlash is not new. “Free at last, not so fast” is a reminder that we have to fight to keep the freedoms that we have. 

Check out the video below for the full discussion with my colleague Angela Groves. 

Defending democracy is 24/7/365.