August 21, 1907

Georgia’s Literacy Test

It was a major blow to the rights of Black Georgians. At the same time, a new phrase was born – the grandfather clause. In 1907, Georgia Governor Hoke Smith, who had campaigned promising to disenfranchise Black voters, signed an act that would amend Georgia’s constitution and impose a literacy test as a requirement for […]

Did you know?

Martin Luther King Jr. was present for the signing of the Voting Rights Act by President Lyndon B. Johnson.