The Vote!

Granddaddy’s Gift is available as a YouTube read-aloud.

In the book Granddaddy’s Gift, we learn that, although the 15th amendment granted African American men the right to vote in 1870, exercising that right was a challenge.  It was, however, so important for Granddaddy to become the first black man in his small town in Mississippi to register to vote, that he gathered the courage and perseverance to be able to vote. Voting was and still is the most important thing an American citizen can do.

To Think About:

1. Granddaddy told his grandchildren how important it was  to vote, even if you did not get what or who you voted for.  He said, “voting was a way for our voices to be heard”.  Do you think it is important for every voice to be heard?  Why or why not?
2. When Granddaddy went to the courthouse to register to vote, he was told that he would have to take and pass a test on the *Mississippi Constitution before he was allowed to register. Why do you think they told him and not others that he would have to take a test on the Mississippi Constitution?  Why do you think Granddaddy was willing to study hard for and take the test? (*We should all know that we have a United States Constitution, a set of rules that guides how our country works.  Just like Mississippi, all 50 states also have their own  Constitution to guides how their state works.)
3. When Granddaddy told his grandchildren about voting, none of them were old enough to vote.  Do you think it is important today to talk about voting with young people like yourselves?  Why or why not?
4. Thinking about what Granddaddy did when he volunteered to be the first Black person in his small town in Mississippi to register to vote, would you describe him as a leader, a hero, both or neither?  Be prepared to support your answer. 

S.T.A.R. Card: 

You must be 18-years-old to vote for President of the United States.  What are some ways you might get practice becoming an informed voter?  Do you think it is important to vote even if who or what you vote for does not win?  Why or why not?

(Lesson developed by Anne Spector, C70's Lead Educator.)