Kennard v. Louisiana ex rel. Morgan was a United States Supreme Court case that addressed the issue of whether a state could deny a black citizen the right to vote in a state election. The case was brought by a black man, John Kennard, who had been denied the right to vote in a Louisiana election. The Supreme Court held that the state of Louisiana had violated the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment by denying Kennard the right to vote. The Court held that the state had discriminated against Kennard on the basis of race, and that this was unconstitutional. The Court also held that the state had failed to provide Kennard with a reasonable opportunity to register to vote, and that this too was unconstitutional. The Court's decision was a major victory for civil rights, as it established that states could not deny citizens the right to vote on the basis of race.

Justice Field delivered the dissenting opinion in Kennard v. Louisiana Ex Rel. Morgan, arguing that the majority's decision was an incorrect interpretation of the Fourteenth Amendment and a violation of due process rights under the law. He argued that by allowing a state to take away someone’s right to vote without any notice or opportunity for them to defend themselves violated their constitutional right to due process as guaranteed by both Article IV and Section 1 of the Fourteenth Amendment. Justice Field further noted that this ruling would lead states down a slippery slope where they could deny citizens their fundamental voting rights with impunity, which he believed was not what Congress intended when it passed these amendments into law. Finally, he concluded his dissent by noting how important it is for all citizens - regardless of race - have access to fair elections and be able to exercise their right to vote freely without fear or intimidation from government officials or other entities seeking political power through disenfranchisement tactics such as those employed in this case.