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Post by dorieseavey on Jul 22, 2020 12:02:06 GMT -5
The tumultuous history of civil rights struggles to create and protect the right to vote for Americans goes back over 150 years. See this infographic from the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU). It covers the period from 1866 (when Native Americans were granted citizenship but not yet the right to vote) to the 1965 Voting Rights Act which outlawed discriminatory voting practices adopted in many Southern states to Shelby v. Holder, the Supreme Court decision in 2013 which undid important protections for minority voters. It also highlights recent voter-suppression legal struggles at the state level. |
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Post by dorieseavey on Jul 22, 2020 12:04:51 GMT -5
On July 17, 2020 our nation lost Congressman John Lewis, an iconic and humble American hero who struggled tirelessly for voting rights over six decades. Among many acts of courage and sacrifice, Congressman Lewis was brutally beaten in 1965 while demonstrating for voting rights in Selma, AL prior to the passage of the 1965 Voting Rights Act. Here is President Obama's statement about Lewis' life. The New Yorker reports that "as Obama left his swearing in, John Lewis approached him with a sheet of paper and asked the new President, the first Black President, to sign it. And he did. He wrote, "Because of you, John. Barack Obama." In Congressman Lewis' words: "The vote is the most powerful, non-violent tool we have in a democratic society. We must not allow the power of the vote to be neutralized. We must never go back." |
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Post by Gary Riccio on Jul 23, 2020 7:23:20 GMT -5
I like this infographic on voter suppression that is a like a slide deck that you can step through but with the addition of a timeline below that shows where each slide fits in the timeline that runs from 1866-2016. Each slide includes selectable links that take you to more information and sources. |
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Post by Gary Riccio on Jul 23, 2020 8:12:40 GMT -5
"Rep. Lewis was the living embodiment of persistence and courage." See the statement by Demos, a policy-research organization that champions solutions that will create a democracy and economy rooted in racial equity. |
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Post by Gary Riccio on Aug 7, 2020 7:27:55 GMT -5
Story about Michelle Obama's new podcast reminds us that she is a source of wisdom to which everyone can relate if one's heart is open. From the article: The psychological effects of the pandemic are not yet fully clear. But the World Health Organization warned in May of a “massive increase in mental health conditions in the coming months,” fueled by anxiety and isolation as well as by the fear of contagion and the deaths of relatives and friends. From the podcast (#2): "Writing our futures in pencil"
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Post by Gary Riccio on Aug 16, 2020 13:46:06 GMT -5
Living legacy and model for a more perfect union: Women of Color Poised to Play Pivotal Role in 2020 Elections, Shaping Policy through Civic EngagementJoint report by AAPI Civic Engagement Fund and Groundswell Fund reveals unprecedented mobilization by women of color in 2018 Midterms; demonstrates women of color’s influential role in setting nation’s policy agenda. "With the 2018 Midterms, the nation witnessed a sea change in American politics led by women of color,” said EunSook Lee, Director of the AAPI Civic Engagement Fund. “This is a story of Black women on the frontlines of democratic demands for progressive change and social justice, turning out to the polls, made more impactful by the participation of Latinas and Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) women. The data points to the potential for substantive policy change when strategies and resources are centered on women of color." |
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