what is the 15th amendment in simple terms

The 15th Amendment to the United States Constitution was passed by Congress on February 26, 1869, and ratified on February 3, 1870. It granted African American men the right to vote, stating that the right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of race, color, or previous condition of servitude. The amendment was the final of the three constitutional amendments enacted during Reconstruction in the aftermath of the Civil War. The 15th Amendment was enacted to fulfill the promises made to African Americans, who were set free by the 13th Amendment, with citizenship guaranteed by the 14th Amendment. However, it was essentially ignored and circumvented for nearly a century, and African Americans could not begin to participate fully in American public and civic life until the 1960s.