when were black people allowed to vote

Black people in the United States were legally allowed to vote with the ratification of the 15th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution in 1870, which prohibited denying the right to vote based on race, color, or previous condition of servitude. However, despite this constitutional right, many states implemented discriminatory practices such as literacy tests, poll taxes, and intimidation that effectively prevented many Black people from voting. It was not until the Voting Rights Act of 1965 that these barriers were federally banned, ensuring more effective and equal voting rights for Black citizens across the country.