After the ratification of the 13th, 14th and 15th amendments to the U.S. Constitution — abolishing enslavement, awarding citizenship to Black Americans and guaranteeing their right to vote (Black men, anyway) — it was a time of progress and celebration. African Americans were elevated to positions in cities, states and at the federal level, including […]
Blocking voters you don’t like is a shameful American tradition Read More »
Vice President Kamala Harris marked the anniversary of Bloody Sunday in Selma, Ala., this past Sunday, joining in a march across the Edmund Pettus Bridge, re-creating the steps of the late Rep. John Lewis, D-Ga., and other leaders and citizens demanding the vote. On March 7, 1965, that group was stopped by violence meted out
Justice for Black voters? Or rap songs and sneakers? Read More »
Since the Voting Rights Act of 1965 opened the franchise to all Americans, Alabama has often been at the center of voting debates. This year is no exception. New maps ordered by and approved by the courts after a contentious yearslong battle could give the state’s Black voters a greater voice, and affect the balance
Transforming Alabama – and young voters. Nothing is off the table Read More »
March 7, 1965, is a day to remember. That was never a problem for 90-year-old Ora Bell Shannon of Selma, Ala., then a young mother who ran with her children from the Edmund Pettus Bridge, or for Betty Boynton, who could see the tear gas rising and baton-wielding state troopers beating peaceful marchers. Civil rights activists — among
Yesterday’s march, with lessons for today Read More »
On the one year anniversary of President Joe Biden’s inauguration, the administration woke up to it’s fifth defeat in six months in passing legislation to ensure voting rights for all. Biden had promised to put voting rights at the top of his agenda, but the path appears more fraught than ever. Mary C. Curtis speaks
‘Beat them in court, beat them in Congress and beat them at the polls’ Read More »
The new infrastructure law and the larger budget reconciliation bill that are part of President Joe Biden’s Build Back Better agenda have pushed the issue of voting rights out of the spotlight. This comes after the Senate blocked debate on a bill named after the late civil rights icon Rep. John Lewis, which would restore key provisions of the Voting
Why Marc Morial is ‘damn worried’ about the state of American democracy Read More »
Panelists Mary C. Curtis, Jessica Holmes, and Dawn Blagrove weigh in on the recent rule of NC judges to eliminate the waiting period and give formerly convicted individuals the right to vote, effective immediately, and the impact of Biden’s moves to reduce student debt. Dr. C. Nicole Swiner offers her take on the FDA-approved Pfizer
Voting Rights, Student Loans, and FDA Approved COVID Vax Read More »
Martin Luther King III joins Equal Time to talk with Mary C. Curtis about his father’s “I have a dream” speech, voting rights today and personal memories of his father. Fifty-eight years after his father’s iconic words, MLK III joins John Lewis’ family and others to galvanize the nation to, once again, ensure voting rights for
MLK III: ‘Listen with your ears, hear with your heart’ Read More »
As a young civil rights activist, House Majority Whip James E. Clyburn was involved in protests that led to passage of the Voting Rights Act. Now, the 81-year-old Democrat from South Carolina, whose endorsement is widely credited with helping Joe Biden turn around his bid for the 2020 presidential nomination, says Congress needs to act to stop
Clyburn: Pass voting bills or Democrats will lose majorities Read More »
We’re at the Reporters’ Roundtable with a look at some of the top stories of the week. On deck tonight… a pedestrian bridge collapse in dc, President Biden announces a crack down crime and illegal guns. Capitol Hill politics, voting rights, DC statehood, Loudoun County schools and an active NFL player comes out.
Reporters’ Roundtable Read More »
