The right to vote has been coveted since the United States became a democracy. In its early stages, only land-owning white men were afforded the right to vote; and it was even earned, in some instances, with a religious test. In the 18th Century, restrictions became looser. White men who resided in the 13 colonies and had at least 40 pounds of personal property could vote without the religious test. When the U.S. constitution came into effect in 1789, some free Black people were among those who could vote, but of course, they had to be men who owned property. Some women were allowed to vote in New Jersey since 1776. But in 1807, the law was changed, allowing only tax-paying, white male citizens the right to vote. In 1856, all states allowed all white men to vote.
In Charly Palmer’s painting “Voter Line”, he depicts a line of Black people of varied ages waiting to cast their votes in a ballot box. The diversity of people standing in line tells of the disenfranchised generations. If this painting is set in 1965, the figures represented in this painting might not have been able to vote in elections prior to the Voting Rights Act of 1965 that outlawed discriminatory voting practices many of the southern states were using. The date 1965, stenciled on the lower right hand of the painting, marks the date that the Voting Rights Act was passed. Though the narrative of voting rights is grim, the bright colors and the two young girls in this artwork represent hope for future generations. This painting symbolizes a new day in Black people’s ability to be a part of the democratic process in the United States. (READ MORE)
