RACIST LITERACY TEST STILL STUCK IN CONSTITUTION.

• Author: Cooper, Christopher
• Position: NC TREND: Public affairs

Another legislative session is over. That means, among other things, that we will spend yet another year with the literacy test enshrined in the North Carolina Constitution.

Some may be surprised that a literacy test still exists in the North Carolina Constitution, but there it is, in clear language in Article VI, Section 4: "Every person presenting himself for registration shall be able to read and write any section of the Constitution in the English language."

Because it is enshrined in the state constitution, the threshold for eliminating the literacy test is higher than it would be for other issues. At least 60% of the membership of both houses of the General Assembly must vote to place the...