Thursday, November 6, 2014

Harvard Students Took The 1964 Louisiana Voter Literacy Test And Failed

“Write the word backwards frontwards.”


In October, resident-tutor Carl L. Miller and student Dennis Ojogho asked a random assortment of Harvard students to take the 1964 Louisiana literacy test.


In October, resident-tutor Carl L. Miller and student Dennis Ojogho asked a random assortment of Harvard students to take the 1964 Louisiana literacy test.


Carl L. Miller / Via youtube.com


Miller told BuzzFeed News in an email that the video was designed to show the importance of voting and to connect the test to "any efforts today that are out there trying to limit people from voting," including Voter I.D. laws in the South.


Miller told BuzzFeed News in an email that the video was designed to show the importance of voting and to connect the test to "any efforts today that are out there trying to limit people from voting," including Voter I.D. laws in the South.


Carl L. Miller / Via youtube.com


Miller added, "People think tests like these were given out hundreds of years ago. They weren't. It was 50 years ago. My grandparents were forced to take them."


Miller added, "People think tests like these were given out hundreds of years ago. They weren't. It was 50 years ago. My grandparents were forced to take them."


At the time, the test was given mostly to black voters in order to "prove" a fifth-grade literacy level, and weed out certain voters.


Carl L. Miller / Via youtube.com


The test is insanely long...


The test is insanely long...


Carl L. Miller / Via youtube.com




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