Give Us the Ballot

The Modern Struggle for Voting Rights in America

De: Ari Berman

Narrado por: Tom Zingarelli

The adoption of the landmark Voting Rights Act in 1965 enfranchised millions of Americans and is widely regarded as the crowning achievement of the civil rights movement. Yet fifty years later, we are still fighting heated battles over race, representation, and political power - over the right to vote, the central pillar of our democracy.

A groundbreaking narrative history of voting rights since 1965, Give Us the Ballot tells the story of what happened after the act was passed. Through meticulous archival research, fresh interviews with the leading participants in the ongoing struggle, and incisive on-the-ground reporting, Ari Berman chronicles the transformative impact the act had on American democracy and investigates how the fight over the right to vote has continued in the decades since. From new strategies to keep minorities out of the voting booth to cynical efforts to limit political representation by gerrymandering electoral districts to the Supreme Court's recent stunning decision that declared a key part of the Voting Rights Act itself unconstitutional, Berman tells the dramatic story of the pitched contest over the very heart of our democracy. At this important historical moment, Give Us the Ballot brings new insight to one of the most vital political and civil rights issues of our time.

©2015 Ari Berman (P)2015 Tantor

Reseñas de la Crítica

"Not just a compelling history, but a cry for help in the recurring struggle to gain what is supposed to be an inalienable right." ( Kirkus, starred review)

Very informative!

I learned a lot from listening to this book. I didn't know how hard it was to fight to keep the vra active.

A must read for all concerned about civil rights

If you could sum up Give Us the Ballot in three words, what would they be?

Voting Rights Primer

What did you like best about this story?

Fascinating history of the battle for voting rights which continues up to this day and beyond. Illustrates the interplay between legislation, DOJ enforcement of legislation, and court rulings, any one of which can tip the scales in support of or in opposition to our right to vote.

Any additional comments?

Need to pay particular attention to the ploy of citing concern about voter fraud to restrict voting rights.

super informative

super informative for anybody interested and systematic oppression or anyone interested in voting rights history in America

Every American should read this

Thank you Amazon for promoting this book. It made me more fully appreciate our right to vote, and the ongoing battle to limit the rights of some (poor, people of color, etc) to exercise this right. We should all be concerned when access is denied or diminished.

I keep referring and recommending this book

An interesting history of voting over the last 150 years, mostly focusing against the backdrop of how HAVA and the push to neutralize it has taken place over the last 20 years. It compares and contrasts the discussions and techniques to disenfranchise many in our country from allowing them to be able to vote and to have that vote count in an effective way. It takes a look at all the culprits and all the small ways and large ways that voting has been manipulated for so many of us in so many ways.

What is interesting is how often it has been referenced directly and indirectly by people I respect, but also how many people don't understand all the causes and ways 'small steps' add up to significant results.

Unfortunately, very current.

Engrossing Narrative History of VRA

Berman says that the 1965 Voting Rights Amendment spawned an equally committed group of counterrevolutionaries. Since the V.R.A.’s passage, they have waged a decades-long campaign to restrict voting right. Berman argues that these counterrevolutionaries have in recent years controlled a majority on the Supreme Court and have set their sights on undoing the accomplishment of the 1960s Civil Rights movement.

Berman explores how the debate over voting rights for the past 50 years has been a debate between two competing visions: Should the Voting Rights Act “simply provide access to the ballot,” as conservatives claim, or should it “police a much broader scope of the election system, which includes encouraging greater representation for African-American and other minority groups”? Every time the VRA comes up for renewal, from 1969 to 2006 the broader interpretation is endorsed by the Congress. The Supreme Court repeatedly responded by imposing the narrower interpretation by judicial fiat. Berman goes into great detail citing Supreme Court actions during this timeframe up to and including the Roberts’ Court to date.

Berman shows how various Republican Presidents chose to do nothing that would affect their standing with black votes except for the gradual redistricting to create majority white or black districts.

In 2013 the Supreme Court by a 5-4 vote struck down the formula Congress had adopted in 1965 and renewed for identifying jurisdictions subject to federal oversight. Chief Justice Roberts held that it violated the Constitution. In her blistering dissent Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg said Congress, not the Court, had the constitutional authority to define progress in Voting Rights.

In 2014 fourteen States adopted voting restrictions. The numbers of voters potentially affected by new barriers to the ballot box exceeded the margin of victory in close races for Senate and Governors in North Carolina, Kansas, Virginia and Florida.
Berman provides a narrative history rather than constitutional analysis. He just documents what has happened to the V.R.A. and documented the shift from Congress to the Court of the V.R.A. The book contains so much information that I just provided you with some brief highlights to help you decide to read the book. This is a must read book for every voter in this country. Tom Zingarelli narrated the book.

Well told history of voting rights activism

There's a lot of information in here, but Berman keeps it grounded in the story of the people working to expand voting access. There were some dense parts to the material being covered, but that's one of the things that makes for a good non-fiction piece -- when you have to stop and really consider what you're reading/hearing in the moment.

Must read for all Adults

I became a voter when I was 26. Not because I was not registered but because I never realized how important it was. After this book I now know how important it truly is to vote in every election. 20 years have gone by since my first vote. I never realized how much I took for granted such a simple gesture. How many worked so hard for that right and how it is slowly being taken away for so many. I plan on sharing this book with all my friends. No longer about an identification but limiting who they want to vote.

Should be required reading.

Should be required reading for all citizens. Voting is a civic duty and should not be limited or prevented.

Compelling and Powerful

Berman gives an informative and engaging narrative of the struggle for voting rights in the US. This is a well researched account of the people, policies and politics that have promoted and threatened access to this fundamental right of every citizen.