Why did so few African Americans participate in politics in the pre–civil rights era?

What will be an ideal response?

An ideal response will:
1, Explain that African Americans were deliberately excluded from the political system for much of American history.
2, Note that the lack of African American participation was not because they were satisfied with the status quo or did not believe politics was relevant to their interests.
3, Discuss the fact that the exclusion of particular groups from politics is a challenge to the theory of pluralism.