An actual literacy test given to black voters by the state of Louisiana in the 1960s

[sheshe2]

Posted on January 8, 2017 by SouthernGirl2


Take The Challenge: Would You Have Been Able To Pass The Literacy Test Given To Black Voters In The 1960s?

Below are scans of an actual “literacy test” given to black voters by the state of Louisiana in the 1960s. As Slate points out, “There was little room for befuddlement. The test was to be taken in 10 minutes flat, and a single wrong answer meant a failing grade.” Careful readers will note the irony of the typos in this test.

This summer, we revisited a literacy test from the Jim Crow South. Given predominantly to African-Americans living in Louisiana in 1964, the test consisted of 30 ambiguous questions to be answered in 10 minutes. One wrong answer, and the test-taker was denied the right to vote. It was all part of the South’s attempt to impede free and fair elections, and ensure that African-Americans had no access to politics or mechanisms of power.






https://3chicspolitico.com/2017/01/08/an-actual-literacy-test-given-to-black-voters-by-the-state-of-louisiana-in-the-1960s/

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Dear Gawd.

[kimbutgar]

1. There should be a 10 question civics test to vote not a bs one like this

If naturalized citizens have to take a test to get citizenship so should all Americans take a test to show they know about how government works. 70% or better is the pass rate.

I doubt the majority of chump supporters even know there are three branches of government let alone can name them.

[Buckeye_Democrat]

4. I don't know if they voted for Trump, but...

I worked at a factory where an immigrant from Russia (she was an Ahiskan Turk) was preparing for her citizenship test. I looked through the booklet and said, "Wow, these questions are easy!"

A Vietnamese-American in the area overheard me and said, "I guarantee with you... those stupid women over there don't know answers!" I replied, "They wouldn't know there's 50 stars on the flag or that the stars represent the 50 states? C'mon!" He answered, "Mudda fugga, I work with them before. You ask them at break!" (He often used "mudda fugga" to start his sentences, by the way.)

The three white women in question were about 45 to 60 years of age, and their typical work consisted of cleaning parts and packaging them.

Long story short, they did NOT seem to know anything! I eventually asked, "Okay, who was the first President of the United States? You know that one, right?" Nope! "He's on the one dollar bill! Who is that?" One of them replied, "We're not in school anymore!"

[GP6971]

2. That is totally Fucked Up

Any idea what the pass / fail % was in those years?

[dhol82]

3. I'd love to give this test to the white voters.

[JI7]

5. this made me so fucking angry when i first read it and it still does

[HoneyBadger]

6. Apparently Common Core is nothing new

I would say that this is equivalent to 3rd grade Common Core

[Buckeye_Democrat]

7. Ridiculous! Also... draw a line around?

What happened if you circled the answer? "It didn't ask for a circle! It asked for a line around it!"

[toddwv]

8. People should stop posting this.

You'll get the Trump fans all excited about returning to the "good ol' days."

[arithia]

10. those who forget history are doomed to repeat it

And this isn't ancient history we are talking about here. It wouldn't take much for things to slide back to this bullsh*t.

Heck, we do it now in the form of voter ID. The intention and end result is the same- to keep minorities from voting.

[radical noodle]

9. So almost any answer could/would be wrong

Blatantly designed to confuse.