The Fight Back Begins. Organizers Respond to Attacks on Voting Rights #TheOtherSideOfChange
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Quick Read
Summary
Takeaways
- ❖The Supreme Court's decisions, like the one on Alabama's congressional map, are enabling states to implement racially discriminatory voting policies.
- ❖Historical parallels to Reconstruction and Jim Crow highlight a recurring pattern of attempts to erase Black political power.
- ❖Grassroots organizations and inter-state collaborations are actively resisting these rollbacks through rallies, boycotts, and strategic voter education.
- ❖A long-term strategy is needed to expand and rebalance the Supreme Court to protect democratic rights.
Insights
1Supreme Court's Role in Voter Suppression
The Supreme Court is actively permitting racially discriminatory congressional maps, as seen in Alabama, effectively eliminating Black representation and setting a dangerous precedent for other Southern states.
The Supreme Court allowed an Alabama congressional map, previously struck down for racial discrimination, to move forward, eliminating a seat representing Black voters.
2Historical Parallels to Erasure of Black Political Power
Current attacks on voting rights, including gerrymandering and voter suppression tactics, echo the post-Reconstruction era and Jim Crow laws, which systematically dismantled Black political gains.
Approximately 2,000 Black men were elected to public office in the South during Reconstruction (1865-1876) before being pushed out or killed, a pattern of erasure that is now resurfacing.
3Intergenerational Devastation and Galvanization
Black elders who fought for voting rights are devastated by their rollback, but their resilience and the memory of their ancestors' struggles are galvanizing a new intergenerational movement to fight back.
Civil rights activist Flonzie Brown Wright, in her 80s, expressed devastation but also resolve, stating that her ancestors fought with less, so the fight cannot end now.
4States' Preparedness for Voter Suppression
Following Supreme Court decisions, states like Florida and Tennessee rapidly redrew maps, indicating a pre-planned and coordinated effort to implement new discriminatory policies immediately.
Prior to the Supreme Court's decision on Louisiana versus Colley, Florida and Mississippi indicated immediate action, with Florida redrawing maps the same day and Tennessee starting the process.
5Need for Strategic Voter Education Amidst New Laws
New laws are changing polling sites and voting procedures, causing confusion and disenfranchisement on election day. Grassroots efforts must prioritize comprehensive voter education to counter these tactics.
In Dallas, new laws changed polling sites on election day, leading to confusion and disenfranchisement for historically Democratic voters, highlighting the need for proactive voter education.
Bottom Line
The current Supreme Court's conservative majority and lifelong appointments necessitate a long-term progressive strategy to expand the number of seats and pack the court with judges favorable to civil rights, rather than solely relying on existing electoral outcomes.
Without judicial reform, legislative and grassroots victories can be easily undone by a politically aligned Supreme Court, making long-term systemic change difficult.
Progressive movements should make Supreme Court expansion a non-negotiable demand for presidential nominees and invest in power mapping for future judicial appointments at both state and federal levels.
Despite being targets of voter suppression, Southern states and Black Southern organizers are leading the charge in resistance efforts, demonstrating inter-state and inter-regional organizing that can serve as a model for the entire country.
The 'South will lead' in both problematic policies and effective resistance, meaning that supporting Southern organizing is critical for national civil rights efforts.
Organizations outside the South should actively invest resources, attention, and strategic partnerships with Southern grassroots groups to amplify their efforts and learn from their resilience and tactics.
Supreme Court decisions on seemingly disparate issues like birthright citizenship, Temporary Protected Status (TPS), and transgender sports bans are interconnected and collectively impact marginalized communities, requiring a holistic advocacy approach.
Focusing on single issues in advocacy risks overlooking broader systemic attacks on civil liberties and the shared vulnerabilities of different marginalized groups.
Advocates should adopt an intersectional lens, connecting various civil rights struggles and building coalitions across different affected communities to present a unified front against systemic rollbacks.
Key Concepts
Political Memory Gap (Derrick Bell's "Faces at the Bottom of the Well")
The intentional void in understanding historical periods of Black political power (like Reconstruction) between the Civil Rights Movement, which hinders current activism by obscuring past successes and strategies.
American Anniversaries and Racial Violence (Eddie S. Glaude Jr.'s "America 250")
The recurring pattern where significant American anniversaries coincide with moments of intense racial violence or setbacks for civil rights, suggesting a cyclical nature of racial struggle.
Lessons
- Support Southern Grassroots Organizers: Actively seek out and invest in organizations like Mississippi Votes, the People's Advocacy Institute, and Alabama Values, which are on the front lines of voter protection and mobilization.
- Stay Informed on Supreme Court Decisions: Regularly monitor Supreme Court decisions beyond major headlines, as rulings on birthright citizenship, TPS, and transgender rights have interconnected impacts on civil liberties.
- Advocate for Supreme Court Reform: Push presidential nominees and elected officials to commit to a long-term strategy of expanding the Supreme Court to rebalance its composition and protect democratic rights.
- Engage in Comprehensive Voter Education: Beyond "get out the vote" (GOTV) efforts, participate in or support initiatives that educate voters on new laws, polling site changes, ballot details, and permissible materials at polling places.
Notable Moments
Black elders' devastation and resolve regarding voting rights rollbacks, inspired by their ancestors' struggles.
This highlights the profound historical weight of current events and the intergenerational commitment to the fight for civil rights, showing that past sacrifices fuel present resistance.
The hosts discuss Donald Trump's alleged plan to host a UFC fight at the White House for his 80th birthday.
This moment serves as a stark contrast to the serious political discussions, framed by the hosts as an example of governmental waste and disrespect for public institutions.
Briya Baker articulates the mantra: 'There are no red states, there are suppressed votes and suppressed voters.'
This reframes the political landscape, emphasizing that electoral outcomes in certain regions are often a result of deliberate disenfranchisement rather than genuine voter preference.
Mercedes Felbright advocates for a multi-decade plan to expand the number of Supreme Court seats and appoint progressive judges.
This proposes a radical but potentially necessary long-term strategy to counter the current conservative dominance of the judiciary and restore balance to democratic institutions.
Quotes
"You can never we can never be truly free if our freedom is only permissible by inflicting violence and harm on other people because eventually those same tactics come back to harm us."
"The Supreme Court is compromised. Like they have they are tools of the machine and they are tools of the Trump administration."
"There are no red states, there are suppressed votes and suppressed voters."
"Why would I stop the fight if they did this?"
"As goes the south, so goes the nation. Yes, I'm a proud southern supremacist y'all. So I'm glad that y'all are talking about the south."
Q&A
Recent Questions
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