Yesterday, as we filed our appeal in the fight against North Carolina’s discriminatory photo voter ID law, the US Supreme Court gutted one of the few remaining protections of the Voting Rights Act. The decision in Louisiana v Callais is not only judicial overreach, but a direct attack on our democracy, Black and brown voters, and Black political power across the south. This erasure of voting rights is not an abstract concept felt only in courtrooms. Americans across the South will feel it when they are denied the opportunity to choose candidates who best represent them, their interests and their communities.
With a consequential midterm election on the horizon, this decision and its fallout can feel like a setback, but let’s not mistake it for defeat. Underneath this ruling is an acknowledgement of the people’s power and progress, and official’s fear of that power and what it has the potential to unlock across this nation.
This decision has made clear that we have reached a point in this country where we must choose between two futures. One where we regress to a time when power, voice, resources and choice were only available to a select few; or one where we come together to fully realize America’s promise of a just, equitable, multiracial democracy that lifts from the bottom up and ensures power rests with the people.
We know that it has always been the work and power of the people that galvanizes, heals and rebuilds when those in power fail us. From the Royal Ice Cream sit-ins to the Greensboro Four, our legacy of transformative change in North Carolina and across the south has always originated with us. This moment is no different. We will once again answer the call of justice and equity. As we continue our fight in the courts, we will continue to come together to reimagine, plan and strategize to build a collective future where we all have a place and voice in our Democracy.