Re-enfranchising the Disenfranchised: Voting Rights in America

Abstract

This panel of scholars will examine the multifaceted history of voting rights of African Americans, focusing on the political, sociological, and legal implications of efforts to restrict and deny access to the vote—the fundamental instrument of democracy. Of particular interest will be an exploration of the effects of incarceration on the black community and the relationship between criminal records and voting rights. Yet by devoting equal time to the achievements of African Americans, this discussion will also emphasize and celebrate the civil rights initiatives that led to the expansion of voting rights, which in turn led (at least partially) to the election of the first African- American president of the United States. The panelists will conclude by offering perspectives on the possibilities for the continuation of re-enfranchisement movements. ; https://digitalcommons.georgiasouthern.edu/armstrong-moveable-feast/1009/thumbnail.jpg