There was sufficient ambiguity in many of those instructions to let the pass/fail distinction come down to whatever the test’s grader wanted it to be. I bet the folks grading those tests weren’t too big on equal rights. At least twenty of those questions were reasonable(if we assume the need for a test of this sort in the first place), but a few were pernicious. Given that even a single wrong answer disqualified you, you don’t need many evil questions to make for an evil test.
The function of such tests was to invoke the grandfather clause — anyone whose grandfather could vote was not required to pass the test; thus, native-born whites were largely exempt.
(That is the original meaning of the term “grandfather clause”, by the way.)
The function of such tests was to invoke the grandfather clause
Are you sure? The Slate article did not mention that as the function. According to the test:
This test is to be given to anyone who cannot prove a fifth grade education.
The Slate article doesn’t mention grandfather clauses either, instead saying:
The literacy test—supposedly applicable to both white and black prospective voters who couldn’t prove a certain level of education but in actuality disproportionately administered to black voters—was a classic example of one of these barriers.
The Slate article did not mention that as the function.
The Wikipedia article I linked discusses this; this one mentions Louisiana’s literacy test specifically.
The tests were never intended to verify mental competence or education; the grandfather clauses make this clear. Their purpose was to provide a pretext for disfranchisement of former slaves and the descendants of slaves.
Really. The past sucks.
“History is a nightmare from which I am trying to awake.”
The literacy test—supposedly applicable to both white and black prospective voters who couldn’t prove a certain level of education but in actuality disproportionately administered to black voters—was a classic example of one of these barriers.
Blacks may have had an unremarkable failure rate, but if (proportionally) more of them were tested, then (proportionally) more of them would have failed.
The test is for people who “cannot prove a fifth grade education”. I believe that over 80% of fifth grade students would fail is this test—either make at least one mistake in all those ambiguously sounding questions, or fail the time limit. Actually, I would expect at least 30% of university students to fail.
In other words, the test pretends to be an equivalent of fifth grade, but in reality it is much more difficult. If you have two people with exactly equivalent knowledge and skills, one of them has a “proof of fifth grade education” and other one does not, the former does not have to pass the test, but the latter is eliminated with high probability.
Therefore the test is a “fuck you” for people who “cannot prove a fifth grade education”, whoever it was in the given historical era.
The test is for people who “cannot prove a fifth grade education”. I believe that over 80% of fifth grade students would fail is this test—either make at least one mistake in all those ambiguously sounding questions, or fail the time limit. Actually, I would expect at least 30% of university students to fail.
I think those figures are overly conservative. I doubt I could pass that test.
Agreed. I doubt I could pass that test (i.e. get every one right) against a fair examiner, given an hour, under no stress. And I’m pretty good at that sort of thing. Getting every question right is just too high a bar. In ten minutes against someone who has discretion to mark your answers on whim and wants you to fail? And your right to vote and self respect are tied up in it? No chance.
We’re talking about a time when blacks were far more likely not to have proper schooling than whites. In some states a majority of blacks could not demonstrate a fifth grade education. The same was not true for whites. So literacy tests were disproportionately administered to blacks. Until 1915, even illiterate whites were exempted under a grandfather clause if they could demonstrate descent from someone eligible to vote in 1867 (before the 15th amendment—prohibiting the denial of the right to vote based on race—was ratified). These clauses were struck down by the Supreme Court in 1915, but they illustrate the real purpose of literacy tests—the disenfranchisement of blacks.
The test itself is patently unfair. It tests far more than just basic literacy, and I do not see how it could be regarded as a proportionate substitute for a fifth grade education. You had to finish it in 10 minutes, and getting even one question wrong counted as failure. Under those conditions, I’m not sure even I could pass the test, and I’m pretty literate. Add to that the fact that many of the questions are ambiguously phrased, allowing multiple “correct” interpretations, and that grading was entirely at the discretion of local (white) officials.
Then the test — and how it was graded and administered — got even more insidious. Check out question 21. It says: “Spell backwards, forwards”. If a Black person spelled “backwards” but omitted the comma, he/she would be flunked. If a Black person spelled “backwards,” he/she would be flunked. If a Black person asked why, he/she would be told either “you forgot the comma,” or “you shouldn’t have included the comma,” or “you should have spelled ‘backwards, forwards’”. Any plausible response by a white person would be accepted, and so would any implausible response.
The test looked like it measured intelligence, literacy, and ability to follow rules. How is that biased against blacks?
There was sufficient ambiguity in many of those instructions to let the pass/fail distinction come down to whatever the test’s grader wanted it to be. I bet the folks grading those tests weren’t too big on equal rights. At least twenty of those questions were reasonable(if we assume the need for a test of this sort in the first place), but a few were pernicious. Given that even a single wrong answer disqualified you, you don’t need many evil questions to make for an evil test.
The function of such tests was to invoke the grandfather clause — anyone whose grandfather could vote was not required to pass the test; thus, native-born whites were largely exempt.
(That is the original meaning of the term “grandfather clause”, by the way.)
Grandfather clauses were declared unconstitutional in 1915, so this particular test would not have a grandfather clause exemption.
Are you sure? The Slate article did not mention that as the function. According to the test:
The Slate article doesn’t mention grandfather clauses either, instead saying:
The Wikipedia article I linked discusses this; this one mentions Louisiana’s literacy test specifically.
The tests were never intended to verify mental competence or education; the grandfather clauses make this clear. Their purpose was to provide a pretext for disfranchisement of former slaves and the descendants of slaves.
Really. The past sucks.
“History is a nightmare from which I am trying to awake.”
Oops. You are right.
The article said (emphasis added):
Blacks may have had an unremarkable failure rate, but if (proportionally) more of them were tested, then (proportionally) more of them would have failed.
The test is for people who “cannot prove a fifth grade education”. I believe that over 80% of fifth grade students would fail is this test—either make at least one mistake in all those ambiguously sounding questions, or fail the time limit. Actually, I would expect at least 30% of university students to fail.
In other words, the test pretends to be an equivalent of fifth grade, but in reality it is much more difficult. If you have two people with exactly equivalent knowledge and skills, one of them has a “proof of fifth grade education” and other one does not, the former does not have to pass the test, but the latter is eliminated with high probability.
Therefore the test is a “fuck you” for people who “cannot prove a fifth grade education”, whoever it was in the given historical era.
I think those figures are overly conservative. I doubt I could pass that test.
Agreed. I doubt I could pass that test (i.e. get every one right) against a fair examiner, given an hour, under no stress. And I’m pretty good at that sort of thing. Getting every question right is just too high a bar. In ten minutes against someone who has discretion to mark your answers on whim and wants you to fail? And your right to vote and self respect are tied up in it? No chance.
Because it was disproportionately administered to blacks, and you failed if you got a single question wrong.
We’re talking about a time when blacks were far more likely not to have proper schooling than whites. In some states a majority of blacks could not demonstrate a fifth grade education. The same was not true for whites. So literacy tests were disproportionately administered to blacks. Until 1915, even illiterate whites were exempted under a grandfather clause if they could demonstrate descent from someone eligible to vote in 1867 (before the 15th amendment—prohibiting the denial of the right to vote based on race—was ratified). These clauses were struck down by the Supreme Court in 1915, but they illustrate the real purpose of literacy tests—the disenfranchisement of blacks.
The test itself is patently unfair. It tests far more than just basic literacy, and I do not see how it could be regarded as a proportionate substitute for a fifth grade education. You had to finish it in 10 minutes, and getting even one question wrong counted as failure. Under those conditions, I’m not sure even I could pass the test, and I’m pretty literate. Add to that the fact that many of the questions are ambiguously phrased, allowing multiple “correct” interpretations, and that grading was entirely at the discretion of local (white) officials.
There’s some more information about it here: http://www.crmvet.org/nars/schwartz.htm#corelittest :