Stolen Dream

This short story attempts to provide the reader with knowledge as to how the agents who enforced the Voting Rights Act of 1965 performed their duties and the problems they encountered. Certain federal agents were designated by the attorney general as voter registrars to enforce the Voter Rights Program. Chapter 1 through chapter 11 describes how we performed our functions and the reactions that were exhibited by some of the hotheads of the community. I have only documented the incidents in this one community because it represented a perfect example of the reactions we experienced in the hundreds of communities where we went to register voters. To write about each community would be redundant and boring. These chapters should give the reader a picture and the flavor of what we went through. The incidences portrayed in this book were actual; however, they were not all connected with Demopolis, Alabama. These incidents and situations occurred many times in different communities. I just used this city because it was the first city I was assigned to.

The chapters that follow are written in a storytelling manner and are intended to impart to the reader additional information about situations or incidents that occurred during the registration process and during the enforcement of the actual election process. The reader should get the flavor of what we experienced. It is my intent in writing this short story that the reader can vicariously experience what the federal agents went through during the enforcement of the Voting Rights Act of 1965. It was not an easy task, and at times, there was the possibility of personal danger.

In the final chapter, I express personal opinions based on my experiences and observations through the year. The dream of Dr. Martin Luther King could only be fully realized if the African American citizens were not denied the right to vote and participate in all areas of the election process.

I am very proud of my role in the enforcement of the Voting Rights Act of 1965. It was a historical time. This was and is the most important civil rights legislation ever enacted. Because of this law, many African Americans and other minorities have attained and are living the American Dream. Regrettably, too many have not been able to do so.

In the final chapter, I express my personal opinion as to why so many African American citizens have not been able to attain the promised dream that Dr. King spoke about and that the Voting Act was supposed to ensure. The opinion is personal, based on current events and my interpretations of those events.