One in Eight Black Men in the United States Cannot Vote

One in eight black men are disenfranchised in the "great" United States of America. Why does this continue to occur?

It is a sad commentary when one in eight black men are disenfranchised in this country. State laws that ban convicted felons from voting after they have paid their debt to society is an affront, though some have said it is unintentional. Really? Why does it affect black men in such significant numbers? I would venture to say that a violent felon should never be given all his rights back after he has served his time, but someone who committed a crime that did not involve murder, rape (unless exonerated), arson and other violent crimes, should be given back his rights after he or she has served their time and paid their debt to society. Look at Martha Stewart, she basically got all her rights back, and was able to pick up where she left off before she was incarcerated.

Over the last two centuries, other voting prohibitions have fallen one by one as what was originally a privilege enjoyed only by white men of property was grudgingly recognized as a basic American right. But in many states, convicted felons can't vote even after they've re-entered society. And because of the disproportionate number of black men convicted of felonies, the effect on that population has been tremendously magnified.

An estimated 5.3 million Americans are denied the right to vote based on their felony convictions, 4 million of whom are out of prison. About a third of them are black, including 13 percent of all African-American men.

Democrats on the House Judiciary Committee are proposing to change that. H.R. 3335, the Democracy Restoration Act, would bar states from disenfranchising felons from federal elections after they've been released from prison. Right now, state laws are literally all over the map.

At a subcommittee hearing Tuesday, Hilary O. Shelton, director of the NAACP's Washington bureau, called the matter "a question of rehabilitation, democracy and fairness." He argued, in his prepared remarks:

Felony voting restrictions are the last vestige of voting prohibitions; when the U.S. was founded only wealthy white men were allowed to vote. Women, minorities, illiterates and the poor were excluded. Most of these restrictions have all been eliminated over time, often with much debate, rancor and challenges. People who have served their time and been released from prison are the last Americans to be denied their highly cherished, basic right to vote.

He said the state laws "have significantly affected the political voice of the African American community." For instance: In Virginia, almost 7% of the entire voting-age population is disenfranchised due to a past felony conviction; and almost 20% of the state's African American population is locked out of the voting booth. Huffington Post

The Hinterland Gazette is in the process of launching a new public policy initiative, "The Second Chance Project," that will address these disparities and the implications such actions have on the black and Latino communities. Stay tuned for further information on the launch date of this much needed community resource.

To read the entire Huffington Post article, CLICK HERE.