Most southern blacks were denied their right to vote. The biggest obstacle was the poll tax, a special
tax that was required of all voters but was too costly for many blacks and for poor whites as well.
Voters also had to pass a literacy test to prove that they could read, write, and understand the U.S.
Constitution. These tests were often rigged to disqualify even highly educated blacks. Those who
overcame the obstacles and insisted on registering as voters faced threats, harassment, and even
physical violence. As a result, African Americans in the South could not express their grievances in
the voting booth, which for the most part, was closed to them.