What was the general impact of literacy tests on African American voters during the Jim Crow era?

Literacy tests were implemented during the Jim Crow era primarily to suppress the voting rights of African Americans. These tests were often designed to be difficult, confusing, and subjective, making it challenging for many individuals to pass, regardless of their actual literacy levels. The intention behind these tests was not to promote education or ensure informed voting but to create obstacles that would effectively disenfranchise a significant portion of the African American population.

By establishing literacy tests as a prerequisite for voting, many capable, educated individuals were unjustly barred from participation in the electoral process. This systemic disenfranchisement reinforced racial inequality and maintained the power dynamics of the Jim Crow laws, which sought to uphold white supremacy in the political sphere. As a result, the overall impact of literacy tests was to create a significant barrier to voting for African American citizens, leading to drastically reduced voter turnout and representation in government.