The 15th Amendment

November 12, 2021

|In Black History in Two Minutes (or so), Season 2

Be Woke Presents Black History in Two Minutes (or so)

The 15th Amendment was a monumental piece of legislation that gave Black men the right to vote. As a result of it, over 2,000 African-American men would be elected to office at various levels of government.

But the amendment became more notable for what it didn’t say, versus what it did. Loopholes in the law allowed for voter suppression tactics to rise, which directly hindered the advancement of Black voters’ rights and the election of Black officials. It wouldn’t be until the Voting Rights Act of 1965 that an all-encompassing law would pass, guaranteeing voting rights for all African-Americans.

In this episode of Black History In Two Minutes or So hosted by Henry Louis Gates Jr. — with additional commentary from Eric Foner of Columbia University, Heather Cox Richardson of Boston College, and Kidada Williams of Wayne State University, we look at the ongoing journey to obtain, implement, and protect a civic duty that all Black Americans should have.

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Archival Material Courtesy of:
● Alamy Images
● Associated Press
● Getty Images
● Library of Congress
● National Archives and Records Administration
● The New York Public Library
● The New York Times

Executive Producers:
• Robert F. Smith
• Henry Louis Gates Jr.
• Dyllan McGee
• Deon Taylor

Senior Producer:
• William Ventura

Series Producers:
• Chinisha Scott
• William Ventura

Executive in Charge of Production:
• Robert L. Yacyshyn

Post Production Supervisor:
• Veronica Leib

Post Production Coordinator:
• Katherine Swiatek

Written By:
• Henry Louis Gates, Jr.

Additional Writing:
• Kevin Burke
• Kelsi Lindus
• Chinisha Scott
• William Ventura

Editors:
• Margaret Metzger
• Anne Yao

Producer:
• Kevin Burke

Archival Producer:
• Megan Graham

Research:
• Zoë Smith