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Voter Restoration

This guide supplements the Center for Civic Engagement's Voter Restoration information by providing, and instructing users on how to find resources available from Milner Library

What's on this Page

This page lists various resources that discusses the evolution of voter suppression towards Black America. You will find books, films, government documents, and search suggestions on this page. This is not a comprehensive list of resources. It is meant as a jumping off point for individual research.

Please note that some of the videos need to be requested for full access. You will be directed to a form in Kanopy to complete.  Any student, faculty, or staff member may request a film.

Suggested Keywords and Subjects

Below you will find a list of suggested subjects and keywords you can use to search for this topic. This is not a comprehensive list, just a way to get you started searching.

Subjects Keywords
  • African Americans -- Suffrage
  • Voter suppression
  • Minorities -- Suffrage
  • Elections -- Corrupt practices
  • Voter registration -- Corrupt practices
  

Selected Books

Selected Films

Freedom Summer

Available to stream on Kanopy.

"The story of 10 memorable weeks in 1964 known as Freedom Summer, when more than 700 student volunteers from around the country joined organizers and local African Americans in a historic effort to shatter the foundations of white supremacy in Mississippi - then one of the nation’s most viciously racist, segregated states."

Also available on DVD at Milner Library (call number E185.93.M6 F74 2014)

American Blackout

"[T]his film will make you question further why the news media fails to accurately inform the public. Directed by GNN's Ian Inaba,...American Blackout critically examines the contemporary tactics used to control our democratic process and silence voices of political dissent. Many have heard of the alleged voting irregularities that occurred during the presidential elections of 2000 and 2004. Until now, these incidents have gone under- reported and are commonly written-off as insignificant rumors or unintentional mishaps resulting from an overburdened election system. American Blackout chronicles the recurring patterns of voter disenfranchisement from Florida 2000 to Ohio 2004 while following the story of Georgia Congresswoman Cynthia McKinney."

Available on DVD at Milner Library (call number JK1976 .A73 2006).

50th Anniversary of the Voting Right Act

President Obama delivered remarks to commemorate the 50th Anniversary of the Voting Rights Act in the South Court Auditorium at the White House. August 6, 2015.

After Selma

"Emmy-winning filmmaker, Loki Mulholland ("The Uncomfortable Truth"), civil rights veteran, Joanne Blackmon Bland, and New York Times bestselling author, Carol Anderson ("White Rage") dive into the history of voter suppression and the need for us to challenge it in order to preserve our democracy and equality for all."

Voting Matters

"[F]ollows one dynamic woman working tirelessly on the ground and in the courts to ensure that they are not denied this right.
 
When a key section of the Voting Rights Act was struck down in 2013, several states with a history of racial discrimination immediately attempted to pass laws that further restricted voter rights. This came in the form of limiting the window for voter registration, purging voters with inactive histories and requiring more restrictive forms of ID....This short film follows civil rights attorney Donita Judge as she helps several voters in Ohio cast ballots even though they initially were turned away. The documentary shows how many hoops must be jumped through simply to vote and highlights how cries of voter fraud are exaggerated."

Answering the Call: The American Struggle for the Right to Vote

"The bloody attacks on protesters in Selma in 1965 led to the historic protection of all Americans' right to vote. The film explores a cherished family story of Selma and the current state of voter suppression in America."

Eyes on the Prize: Bridge to Freedom

Episode 6 of the documentary, Eyes on the Prize.

"A decade of lessons is applied in the climactic and bloody march from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama. A major victory is won when the federal Voting Rights Bill passes, but civil rights leaders know they have new challenges ahead."

We'll Never Turn Back

"[F]ilmed in Mississippi in 1963 during the voter registration drives of that era. Harvey Richards interviewed share croppers and activists in the voter registration campaign, including SNCC leaders Julian Bond, Bob Moses, Fannie Lou Hamer, Charles McLaurin and Hollis Watkins. SNCC leader Charles McDew, chairman of SNCC, appeals for support."

Dream Deferred

"[F]ilmed and produced by Harvey Richards for Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) in the spring of 1964. It is the second film Richards made in collaboration with Amzie Moore, a Mississippi civil rights leader and features Fannie Lou Hamer campaigning for election in the 'freedom votes' where she declared 'I'm sick and tired of being sick and tired.'"

Freedom Bound

"[C]ontains unique footage of share croppers and voter registration activists telling their stories of heroism and hardship encountered in their fight to gain the right to vote in Mississippi in 1963."

Selma

Feature film that "[c]hronicles the tumultuous three-month period in 1965, when Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. led a dangerous campaign to secure equal voting rights in the face of violent opposition."
 
Available on DVD at Milner Library (call number PN1997.2.S466 2015).

Government Documents and Collected Writings