Amendment XV Explained | Voting Rights and Equal Access

Amendment XV of the Constitution protects the right of citizens to vote by prohibiting discrimination based on race, color, or previous condition of servitude.

Ratified in 1870 after the Civil War, this amendment corrected a deep injustice and set a constitutional boundary that neither states nor the federal government may cross.

This video provides a plain-language explanation of Amendment XV, covering:

Why the amendment was adopted

What kinds of discrimination it forbids

How it limits government power

The role of Congress in enforcing voting rights

Amendment XV does not remove all voting regulations. It establishes a clear rule: race may never be used to deny access to the ballot.

Key principle: Participation in self-government must be protected equally under the law.

This video is intended for constitutional literacy and serious civic study, offering clarity without political rhetoric or slogans.

A republic endures when the law protects equal access to civic participation.