Trump's answer to keeping undesirables out of the country seems to be to block access to almost everyone who isn't already inside

You can save this article by registering for free here. Or sign-in if you have an account.

Prior to the passage of the Voting Rights Act in 1965, registering to vote in Alabama required passing a “literacy” test designed specifically to keep Blacks from casting ballots.

Enjoy the latest local, national and international news.

Enjoy the latest local, national and international news.

Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience.

Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience.

There were 68 questions ranging from the arcane to the obscure, requiring a near Delphic understanding of federal, state and constitutional practices and statutes. Which U.S. authority, for instance, is responsible for policing piracy? Of the original 13 states, which sent the most representatives to the first Congress? If two states decided to merge, which levels of approval would have to be obtained?

Though anyone could be required  to complete the test, it was overwhelmingly reserved for Blacks. Registration officials had wide powers of discretion, so whites who failed could be passed anyway while Blacks who passed could be failed on a range of inventive excuses. It worked marvellously, keeping Blacks from playing a meaningful role in politics for decades.

This newsletter tackles hot topics with boldness, verve and wit. (Subscriber-exclusive edition on Fridays)

By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc.

A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder.

The next issue of Platformed will soon be in your inbox.

We encountered an issue signing you up. Please try again

Interested in more newsletters? Browse here.

You can sense the same strategy in the latest update to U.S. border and customs regulations. New York harbour may still have a well-known statue claiming to welcome “your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,” but the presiding attitude in Washington is more like “We don’t want you, we don’t need you, we’d really prefer you just go away.”

Under the proposed new

© National Post