Michigan Voter Intimidation. Political Disillusionment. Who Will Answer The Call? #TheBreakdown
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Quick Read
Summary
Takeaways
- ❖Michigan GOP candidate Mike Rogers suggested deploying off-duty or retired police as poll watchers in Detroit, a move seen as voter intimidation.
- ❖Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry postponed elections and attempted to eliminate the Orleans Parish criminal court clerk position after Calvin Duncan, a formerly wrongfully convicted Black man, won the seat.
- ❖A federal judge blocked Governor Landry's move, allowing Calvin Duncan to take office, but the broader implications of weakening voting rights remain.
- ❖The Supreme Court's gutting of Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act enables partisan gerrymandering and makes proving discriminatory intent nearly impossible.
- ❖Attorney Haley Taylor Schlitz calls for an emergency national conference of Black organizations to develop a unified plan and potentially initiate a 'new Great Migration' to states that value Black political power.
- ❖Identity Preparatory Academy, Nebraska's first Black-founded state-approved school, opened to provide culturally fortified education for Black girls, focusing on literacy, leadership, and community engagement.
Insights
1Michigan GOP Candidate Proposes Police at Detroit Polls, Raising Voter Intimidation Concerns
Mike Rogers, a Michigan Republican US Senate hopeful, publicly stated his desire to recruit off-duty or retired police officers as poll watchers in Detroit. This strategy is framed as an attempt to intimidate Black and brown voters, drawing comparisons to similar rhetoric used by former President Donald Trump in 2020.
Rogers said, 'I've been telling them, you know what? Let's put police officers retired or off-duty police officers as our poll watchers on Detroit because, well, go ahead. Try to intimidate them, please.' He acknowledged officers wouldn't wear uniforms. ( - )
2Louisiana Governor's Actions Undermine Black Political Representation Post-Voting Rights Act Gutting
Following a Supreme Court decision (Louisiana v. Cala) that significantly weakened Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act, Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry attempted to postpone elections and eliminate the Orleans Parish criminal court clerk position, which was won by Calvin Duncan, a Black Democrat previously exonerated after a wrongful conviction. A federal judge issued a temporary restraining order, allowing Duncan to take office, but the broader ruling makes it nearly impossible to prove discriminatory intent in gerrymandering, impacting Black and Hispanic voters nationwide.
A federal judge granted a temporary restraining order allowing Calvin Duncan to take office as criminal court clerk in Orleans Parish, ruling Governor Landry's move to eliminate the position unconstitutional. Congressman Troy Carter stated the Supreme Court's gutting of Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act allows partisan gerrymandering while denying defense against discrimination, requiring proof of intent reminiscent of Jim Crow laws. ( - , - )
3Call for a Unified Black National Summit and 'New Great Migration' to Counter Political Attacks
Attorney Haley Taylor Schlitz advocates for an emergency national conference of Black organizations and leaders to develop a unified, intentional plan of action. This plan would address the systemic attacks on voting rights and political power, potentially including a 'new Great Migration' where Black communities strategically relocate to states that value their political contributions, thereby shifting congressional seats and power.
Haley Taylor Schlitz proposed an 'intentional emergency crisis response conference' to create a 'unified plan of action' and 'combine our individual power into a greater power.' She suggested a 'new Great Migration' to states that value Black communities, bringing their 'congressional seats' and 'political power' with them. ( - , - )
4Nebraska Launches First Black-Founded State-Approved School for Black Girls
Identity Preparatory Academy, founded by Dr. Denanishia Phillips, is Nebraska's first Black-founded state-approved school, specifically designed to center, uplift, and empower Black girls. The school employs a culturally fortified, community-enriched model, integrating community wisdom and student input into the curriculum, with a strong focus on literacy and leadership development.
Dr. Denanishia Phillips, founder of Identity Preparatory Academy, described it as Nebraska's first Black-founded state-approved school, built to center, uplift, and empower Black girls. The school's model is 'culturally fortified, community-enriched' and incorporates 'Dream Labs' where girls and caregivers contribute to the curriculum, focusing on literacy and leadership. ( - , - , - )
Bottom Line
The erosion of voting rights and political representation in certain states could trigger a strategic 'new Great Migration' of Black populations, intentionally shifting demographics to consolidate political power in more receptive states.
This isn't just about individual relocation; it's a collective, organized effort to weaponize demographic shifts to regain and amplify political influence. It implies a conscious decision to divest from hostile political environments.
Organizations and leaders could facilitate this migration by identifying 'blue states' with favorable conditions, establishing support networks for relocating families, and mobilizing resources to ensure a successful and impactful demographic shift.
The current political climate necessitates a shift from traditional annual organizational meetings to urgent, crisis-induced national summits for Black leadership, focusing on unified action plans and accountability.
Existing organizational structures are insufficient to address the speed and severity of current political attacks. A more agile, collaborative, and emergency-focused approach is required to prevent reactive responses and enable proactive strategies.
The Congressional Black Caucus or other prominent Black leadership bodies could convene such a summit, bringing together diverse organizations (fraternities, sororities, legal, healthcare, education groups) to develop a cohesive, multi-pronged strategy that leverages collective power.
Key Concepts
The New Great Migration
This model proposes a strategic, collective movement of Black populations from states that actively suppress their political power to states where their votes and presence can have a greater impact, thereby shifting political demographics and influence. It draws parallels to historical migrations driven by racial oppression.
Crisis-Induced Collective Action
This model suggests that moments of severe political or social crisis, like the current attacks on voting rights, should trigger an urgent, unified response from diverse Black organizations and leaders. This involves intentional national summits to forge a cohesive strategy, pool resources, and hold partnerships accountable, moving beyond annual meetings to emergency-level coordination.
Lessons
- Engage in local and national political processes by voting in all elections, understanding that abstention can have severe, long-term consequences on judicial appointments and legislative outcomes.
- Support and advocate for organizations actively fighting voter suppression and promoting voting rights, recognizing that these battles impact local school boards, legislative seats, and city councils.
- Consider strategic collective action, such as participating in or supporting initiatives for a 'new Great Migration,' to consolidate Black political power in states that are more aligned with community values and offer greater protection of rights.
Quotes
"What they essentially did with this gut is you say on one hand it is okay to gerrymander to pick your party. You can gerrymander along partisan lines. So you gave an advantage through partisan gerrymandering, but on the other side, you denied the the opportunity to defend against discrimination by creating a narrow window where individuals must prove intent to discriminate. That is reminiscent of the pole tax or reminiscent of the Jim Crow laws."
"We are on the verge of a new great awakening and your generation with disillusionment as your superpower will lead us. Fall in love with everything all at once. Touch the ground of your being. Remember, you are an expression of a sacred something. Then get off your knees and start swinging."
"We need an intentional conference. We need an intentional national conference with a real unified plan that gets commitments from organizations and communities and holds those partnerships accountable as we divide and conquer in our individual states and localities."
"If Alabama's not going to value us as humans and as individuals, give us our political power and our voices, if they're going to gerrymander us and continue this Jim Crow, then we need to move. We need to take our power and leave."
"We are taking up the reigns and doing it ourselves because we do have power in this. So, this is Nebraska's first black-founded state approved school."
Q&A
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