February 9, 2008
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Profile America for the ninth day of Black History Month. It wasnt always easy for all Americans to cast their vote in elections. It took the 14th and 15th amendments to the Constitution, ratified after the Civil War, to establish that the right to vote shall not be denied because of race. In 1964, discrimination in the registration of voters was prohibited by the Civil Rights Act. That same year, poll taxes were eliminated in federal elections by the 24th amendment, and federal court ruling did the same thing at the state level four years later. In the last presidential election, more than 64 percent of eligible African-Americans reported that they registered to vote, and just over 56 percent said they actually went to the polls. This special edition of Profile America for Black History Month is a public service of the U.S. Census Bureau.