Has the Black Vote Paid Off?

Black Americans have fought, bled, and died for the right to vote. But more than 150 years after the passage of the 15th Amendment, has that hard-fought right translated into the political power our communities deserve? That uncomfortable question drives the series premiere of The Root’s new six-part docuseries, America Amended, hosted by Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Trymaine Lee.

In Episode 1, Lee lands in Philadelphia to trace the battle for Black political power from the Reconstruction era straight to today’s ballot boxes.

The episode begins by highlighting the legacy of Bishop Richard Allen, founder of the African Methodist Episcopal Church, and the historic Mother Bethel AME Church. More than a place of worship, the church became a hub for education, community organizing and political action. Viewers even get a look at an early voting system that used black and white marbles to make decisions within the congregation, showing how Black communities practiced democracy while fighting for equal participation outside the church.

Lee also revisits the story of Octavius Valentine Catto, a Black educator and voting rights activist who was murdered in Philadelphia on Election Day in 1871. His death serves as a sobering reminder of the violence Black Americans faced simply for exercising their political power. But, one of the episode’s most compelling moments comes when Lee sits down with Philadelphia elected legislator Andre D. Carroll to discuss the power of the Black vote and whether some voters have begun taking that right for granted. 

“I don’t subscribe to the notion that Black folks are taking the right to vote for granted. I subscribe to the notion that people are fed up with the system,” Carroll says. He goes on to describe the frustration of voters who continue showing up at the polls, sometimes enduring intimidation and hours-long lines, only to feel that the political system hasn’t delivered for their communities.

His perspective raises an uncomfortable question, which is are Black voters becoming disengaged because they don’t care, or are they tired of participating in a system that doesn’t always work in their favor? The premiere also spotlights the role of faith-based organizations and younger generations in carrying the work forward. From community gatherings that bring politics to the dinner table to efforts connecting young voters with the issues affecting their everyday lives, the episode makes clear that political participation extends well beyond Election Day.

For more episodes of America Amended and stories centering Black history, culture and the conversations shaping our communities, subscribe to The Root’s YouTube channel.