“All of this is on account of us wanting to register, to become first-class citizens, and if the
freedom Democratic Party is not seated now, I question America, is this America, the land of the
free and the home of the brave where we have to sleep with our telephones off of the hooks
because our lives be threatened daily because we want to live as decent human beings, in
America?”
-Fannie Lou Hamer, Speech at the Democratic National Convention, July 22, 1964.
"Neither the State nor any subdivision or agency thereof shall deny, limit or abridge,
directly or indirectly, the right of any person, who is willing or desires to sell, lease or rent
any part or all of his real property, to decline to sell, lease or rent such property to such
person or persons as he, in his absolute discretion, chooses."
- California Proposition 14 – Amendment to the Rumford Fair Housing Act,
sponsored by the California Realtors Association - November, 1964
Voter Registration in the South
Percentage of Voting-Age Population That Is Registered
Ala.
1960
1970
1986
Ark.
Fla.
Ga.
La.
Miss.
N.C.
S.C.
Tenn.
Tex.
White
63.6
60.9
69.3
56.8
76.9
63.9
92.1
57.1
73.0
42.5
Black*
13.7
38.0
39.4
29.3
31.1
5.2
39.1
13.7
59.1
35.5
White
85.0
74.1
65.5
71.7
77.0
82.1
68.1
62.3
78.5
62.0
Black
66.0
82.3
55.3
57.2
57.4
71.0
51.3
56.1
71.6
72.6
White
77.5
67.2
66.9
62.3
67.8
91.6
67.4
53.4
70.0
79.0
Black
68.9
57.9
58.2
52.8
60.6
70.8
58.4
52.5
65.3
68.0
* Includes other minority races.
Source: Voter Education Project, Inc. of Atlanta Georgia, as reported in Statistical
Abstract of the United States , 1990, 264.
Va