The Supreme Court’s recent decision to not hear the Mckesson v. Doe case has put long-held protest rights into question, prompting strong condemnation from civil rights advocates. At the heart of the issue is the question of whether groups or individuals that organize protests in Texas, Louisiana, and Mississippi can be held responsible for any injuries or damage that occurs during the event – even if the organizer clearly played no role in the damage.

The decision to not take the case leaves confusion on what is the standard law around protest rights moving forward. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit ruled that an unnamed officer (“Doe”) could sue the leader of a Black Lives Matter rally (Mckesson) in Baton Rouge after being injured by a rock thrown by an unnamed protestor that was not affiliated with putting the event together. The case was first brought to the Supreme Court in 2020, where the court instructed the 5th Circuit to seek the Louisiana Supreme Court’s guidance on whether Doe’s case was eligible by state law. The state Supreme Court determined that Mckesson, the protest leader, could be sued for damages which brought the case back before the United States Supreme Court where it was ultimately rejected from being heard.

In response to recent attempts to limit the scope of public demonstrations, Anneshia Hardy, Executive Director of Alabama Values, voiced strong opposition, emphasizing the critical role of protests in democratic societies. Hardy stated, “Protests have always been at the heart of transformative movements, from the civil rights marches that rewrote the rules of our nation to the global outcry for climate and social justice. They embody our collective power to challenge and dismantle entrenched norms. Now, with increasing efforts to restrict or ban protests, our First Amendment rights are under direct attack. These unconstitutional measures strike at the core of our democracy and freedom. We must advocate against these measures and uphold our right to speak and act for change.”

Ashley Shelton, Executive Director of Power Coalition for Equity and Justice (Louisiana), and Nsombi Lambright, Executive Director of One Voice (Mississippi), are two of many community leaders in the three directly-impacted states raising their voices in opposition to the threat on constitutional freedoms. Shelton captured the sentiment of many, stating, “I have been speaking about this for some time! How can my 2nd Amendment rights be more protected than my 1st Amendment rights? It doesn’t make sense and is an affront to the very heart of the United States Constitution!” Lambright reinforced the urgency of the matter, declaring, “While this court continues to find ways to violate our Constitutional rights, we will continue to stand with communities in protest to this decision and any other decision that threatens our human rights.”

The Mckesson v. Doe case represented a pivotal opportunity to challenge the constitutionality of laws that impede the right to protest. By choosing not to hear the case, the Supreme Court has effectively upheld the lower court rulings, leaving the fate of constitutional freedoms uncertain. This decision not only undermines the principles of democracy but also sets a dangerous precedent for the future of civil liberties in America.

The attack on protest rights isn’t a new one. Proceeding legislative policies against this constitutional freedom include Tennessee passing bills that felonize certain methods of protest, Alabama’s currently proposed anti-protest bill (SB 57), and the city of Florence, Alabama going so far as to ban unamplified voices from being too loud during protests in their downtown area. While the attacks on protest rights aren’t new, this decision by the 5th Circuit – and the lack of a decision by the United States Supreme Court – leave protesting rights in a more perilous position than ever.

As communities grapple with the implications of the Supreme Court’s decision, it is imperative that we remain vigilant in our defense of constitutional rights. The voices of dissent must not be silenced, and the right to fight for justice and equality must continue unabated.

Cover image from deray.com

PRESS RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

April 4, 2024

CONTACT
Anneshia Hardy

media@alvalues.org

Legal Challenge Launched Against Alabama’s SB 1, Law Penalizing Voter Assistance Efforts

Montgomery, AL – In a united stand against voter suppression, a coalition of civil rights, voting rights, and disability rights organizations has filed a lawsuit challenging Alabama’s Senate Bill 1 (SB 1). The law, set to take effect on October 1, 2024, ahead of the November general elections, imposes severe restrictions on nonpartisan civic engagement efforts, criminalizing most forms of assistance in applying for absentee ballots.

The Alabama State Conference of the NAACP, Greater Birmingham Ministries, League of Women Voters of Alabama, and the Alabama Disabilities Advocacy Program, represented by Campaign Legal Center, Legal Defense Fund, Southern Poverty Law Center, the American Civil Liberties Union of Alabama, and Alabama Disabilities Advocacy Program, are the plaintiffs in this lawsuit. They are suing Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall, Alabama’s 42 District Attorneys, and Alabama Secretary of State Wes Allen, aiming to block the enforcement of SB 1.

Gov. Kay Ivey signed SB 1, sponsored by Sen. Garlan Gudger, R-Cullman, on March 20.

The lawsuit challenges SB 1 as violating the First and Fourteenth Amendments of the United States Constitution, the Voting Rights Act, and the Help America Vote Act of 2002.

From the moment SB 1 was introduced, civic and grassroots organizations, along with the wider community, have been vocal in their opposition, making their presence felt at the Alabama State House to voice their concerns.

Bernard Simelton, President of the Alabama State Conference of the NAACP, a lead plaintiff in the case, expressed his frustration with the state’s contradictory actions, “The State of Alabama is engaging in double talk, claiming to make voting easier while erecting barriers for our most vulnerable communities. We saw a record number of absentee ballots cast during the 2020 election when barriers were removed. People will vote absentee if we eliminate obstacles.”

Since the 2013 Shelby v. Holder Supreme Court decision, there has been a significant uptick in anti-voting legislation introduced across the country. This ruling, which weakened key provisions of the Voting Rights Act, has emboldened states to enact laws that restrict access to the ballot, disproportionately impacting marginalized communities.

Rhayne Wagner, Senior Policy Manager at Black Voters Matter Fund, reflects on the ongoing struggle for voting rights and the significance of this lawsuit in the broader historical context, “Our past has always informed our present in the fight for voting rights. Black people have always had to have our voting rights legislated in court. Today is no different. We will fight back against these coordinated attacks on our voting rights.”

Rodreshia Russaw, Executive Director of The Ordinary People Society (TOPS), highlighted the law’s impact on disenfranchised communities, “SB1’s cruel restrictions aim to harm eligible voters in disenfranchised communities through voter intimidation tactics. This lawsuit is a shameful waste of tax dollars and wreaks havoc on the upcoming elections.”

The severity of the penalties prescribed by SB 1 is a point of contention, with critics arguing that the bill assigns disproportionate consequences for actions related to assisting voters with absentee ballots. This overreach has raised concerns about the potential chilling effect on civic engagement and the accessibility of the voting process.

Alison Mollman, Legal Director at the ACLU of Alabama, criticized the severity of the law’s penalties, “SB1 equates assisting someone with their absentee ballot application with offenses like manslaughter and statutory rape by making it a Class B felony. This law is unconstitutional, and we stand with our clients to protect their constitutional rights.”

As the general elections approach, the implications of SB 1 become increasingly concerning.

Deanna Fowler, Interim Director of Alabama Forward, reaffirmed the commitment of the statewide civic engagement network, “Alabama Forward and its member organizations are dedicated to ensuring that Alabamians have adequate access to the ballot. While this fight continues in the court, we will continue our collective efforts to empower every Alabamian to engage in the democratic process.”

Alabamians are encouraged to stay connected and informed around important election deadlines which can be located on the Alabama Votes website. Also report any issues they may have at the polls on election day by calling:

• 866-OUR-VOTE (English, administered by the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law),

• 888-VE-Y-VOTA (Spanish, administered by the NALEO Educational Fund),

• 888-API-VOTE (Chinese, Vietnamese, Korean, Bengali, Hindi, Urdu, Tagalog, administered by APIAVote & AAJC),

• 844-YALLA-US (Arabic, 844-925-52872) Arabic language hotline (administered by Arab American Institute)

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Alabama Values is a grassroots communications organization working to raise awareness and increase engagement around community issues in Alabama. Alabama Values works directly with grassroots civic organizations advocating to build power and break down barriers to civic participation for communities across the state.

On March 14, 2024, Alabama Values, in collaboration with Groundwork Project and Southern Leadership for Voter Engagement, hosted a critical virtual public briefing titled “Democracy Under Attack.” The event focused on the disturbing wave of anti-democratic legislation sweeping through state legislatures across the South, targeting voter rights, diversity, equity, inclusion initiatives, LGBTQ+ rights, and further marginalizing vulnerable communities.

The briefing was moderated by Jamal Watkins, Senior Vice President of Strategy & Advancement at the NAACP, and featured an esteemed panel of advocates and organizers from Alabama, Mississippi, Tennessee, Louisiana, and Florida. Each speaker shared insights into the coordinated legislative attacks their states are facing and the implications for democracy in the region.

Rhyane Wagner, Senior Policy Manager at Black Voters Matter Fund, emphasized the importance of understanding these legislative efforts as part of a broader strategy to suppress the voices of marginalized communities. Steven Adelson from Civic TN highlighted the grassroots resistance efforts underway in Tennessee, showcasing the power of community organizing in the face of adversity.

Ashley Shelton, Founder and CEO of the Power Coalition in Louisiana, spoke about the need for a unified response to these challenges, emphasizing the interconnected nature of the attacks on democratic principles. Jerome Dees, Policy Director at the Southern Poverty Law Center in Alabama, provided legal perspectives on the implications of these legislative moves and the importance of judicial intervention in safeguarding rights.

Kyra Roby, Policy Director at One Voice Mississippi, discussed the impact of such legislation on the ground in Mississippi and the strategies being employed to counter these threats. The speakers collectively underscored the urgency of the situation and the need for continued vigilance and activism to protect the democratic fabric of the South.

The briefing served as a call to action for media, activists, and concerned citizens to raise awareness, mobilize support, and stand united against the tide of anti-democratic legislation. Alabama Values reaffirmed its commitment to collaborating with civic organizations to build power, break down barriers to civic participation, and utilize narrative, messaging, media, and visual storytelling as key tools for civic engagement and mobilization.

Despite claims from Secretary of State Wes Allen that his office did not mail the cards and that the voter list maintained by his office was accurate, the SPLC insists that an immediate audit and public accounting are necessary to ascertain the scope of the problem.

Bradley Heard, deputy legal director for democracy and voting rights at the SPLC, stated, “This is more than a misstep. Providing erroneous information to thousands of voters on the eve of a hotly contested primary election could very well impact the turnout and the results of the election, for both Republicans and Democrats.”

The SPLC has provided evidence of a voter card sent to the home of the center’s co-founder, Joe Levin, which incorrectly lists him as registered to vote in the 7th congressional district. Montgomery Probate Judge J.C. Love confirmed that the card was sent by the county registrar’s office, which operates independently of the probate office.

The SPLC’s investigation revealed that approximately 5,604 voters were mislabeled in the voter file as being in the 7th Congressional District, instead of the newly formed 2nd District. Of those voters, 4,513 are Black.

The SPLC is calling for transparency and accountability from Secretary Wes Allen’s office to ensure the integrity of the voter list and the fairness of the upcoming election. The organization remains committed to protecting the rights of voters and upholding the principles of democracy in Alabama.

The event precedes the legislative session’s committee hearing and public testimony, starting with a training breakfast with legal experts Jared Evans and Victoria Wenger from the Legal Defense Fund.

Attendees will also receive additional education from the Power Coalition and other advocates regarding the ongoing fight for fair maps and how it’s connected to community issues. The mass mobilization is designed to educate and prepare community members to use their voices during the legislative process to advocate for the change they want to see in their communities. The attendees will march over to the Capitol ahead of the committee meeting.

Commissioner Davante Lewis, a plaintiff in the case adds, “This event is about more than just maps; it’s about ensuring that every voice in our state is heard and valued. We are here to empower our community to stand up for their rights and to hold our leaders accountable.”

The journey to this point has been marked by intense legal battles. Last year’s federal appeals court hearing in Robinson v. Ardoin questioned Louisiana’s compliance with a court-ordered approach to creating a new congressional district with a predominantly Black population.

The Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals on November 11, 2023, agreed with a lower court that the congressional map passed by the Louisiana legislature following the 2020 Census is discriminatory and likely violated the VRA. The Louisiana legislature has until the end of January to pass a map. If it fails to, the Fifth Circuit has ordered the lower court to promptly conduct a trial and adopt a remedial map that doesn’t violate the VRA.

This case, influenced by the Supreme Court’s decision in Alabama’s Allen v. Milligan, is critical for ensuring fair representation, considering Louisiana’s Black population constitutes one-third of the state’s residents. The ongoing legal challenges underscore the necessity of this redistricting effort to honor the promise of the Voting Rights Act.

Ashley K. Shelton, Founder, President & CEO of Power Coalition for Equity & Justice, highlights the significance of this moment: “This is a pivotal time for the people of Louisiana. They have persistently voiced their demand for change throughout this process. The Chief U.S. District Judge Shelly Dick’s ruling in our favor underscores the urgency of fair representation. We now stand at a crossroads where transformational change is not just possible but imperative.”

The lawsuit claims that the maps unfairly reduce the influence of Black voters in Louisiana and break the Voting Rights Act’s Section 2 by not creating a second district where Black voters are the majority. The maps concentrate Black voters from New Orleans and Baton Rouge into just one U.S. congressional district, significantly diminishing their voting impact. Although former Gov. John Bel Edwards rejected the maps, the legislature overruled the veto.

Jared Evans (LDF) confidently states, “We are on the cusp of a historic change. Black voters in Louisiana are closer than ever to having the representation they deserve. This week, we expect to see a shift towards fairness and equity in our electoral maps.”

The SCOTUS ruling in the Milligan case was a landmark decision with the high court reaffirming Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act and setting up the opportunity for other states — including Louisiana — to continue their lawsuits to have new maps enacted that give Black voters equitable voting power. In Louisiana, Black voters make up at least a third of the state’s population. A second majority-Black Congressional district would better serve the people of Louisiana. NAACP LDF has been at the forefront of the more than two-year battle to attain fair maps for the people of Louisiana and Alabama as they were the lead counsel in both the Milligan and Robinson cases.

Tori Wenger (LDF) emphasizes the legal journey: “Years of litigation and advocacy have led us to this moment. The LDF is proud to represent those who have fought tirelessly for fair representation. This session is a testament to their resilience and commitment to justice.”

The special session will kick off at 4 p.m., Monday, January 15, 2024, and must adjourn no later than 6 p.m., Tuesday, January 23, 2024, in which the legislature has another opportunity to create fair maps for Louisianians.

Carlos Pollard, Jr., Power Coalition for Equity & Justice, remarks, “This is the second special session regarding redistricting, another chance for our legislature to reflect the true diversity of Louisiana. We stand united in urging our representatives to pass a fair and representative map.”

To date, more than 100 community members have signed up to attend the event. The Mass Mobilization Event represents a collective call to action for fair representation in Louisiana. It embodies the collaborative efforts of various organizations and individuals in pursuit of a just and equitable political landscape. All community members, activists, and supporters are encouraged to attend this significant event to voice their support for fair representation in Louisiana’s congressional maps.

For more info and to register, please visit bit.ly/2024RedistrictingMobilization. Food, supplies, transportation, and a small stipend will be provided.

For more information or to schedule an interview, please contact Carlos Pollard, Jr. at cpollard@powercoalition.org or 504-906-4019.

There will also be a press conference today, January 15, 2024 at 1 p.m., on the steps of the Louisiana State Capitol, located at 900 N. Third St., Baton Rouge.

The panel of judges is the same three-judge panel who ruled in 2022 that Alabama’s 2021 Congressional plan violated section 2 of the Voting Rights Act by diluting black voting power. In June 2023, SCOTUS agreed.

Circuit Judge Stanley Marcus and District Judges Terry Moorer and Anna Manasco held Monday’s hearing.

Deuel Ross, deputy director of litigation at the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund and lead attorney for the Milligan plaintiffs, spoke first.

During the opening statements, Ross played videos of depositions from the reapportionment committee co-chairs Rep. Chris Pringle and Sen. Steve Livingston where both verbally agreed they understood the court’s instructions to create a second district that would afford black voters the opportunity to elect candidates of their choice.

Ross said it is clear that the map passed by the Alabama Legislature on July 21 does not follow the instructions of the court and violates Section 2 of the VRA.

The map passed by the state legislature would not give black voters an opportunity to elect voters of their choice because black candidates have historically not won elections in the counties that comprise Congressional District 2.

Abha Khanna, attorney for the Caster plaintiffs, said the Alabama Legislature had not made a serious effort to remedy the Section 2 violation.

Khanna spoke on how the state responded to the orders by doing what it had already done.

“Racial polarization in Alabama is intense and it is stark,” she said.

During the hearing on Monday, Judge Mansaco asked Alabama Solicitor General Edmund LaCour if he thought the creation of a second district that provides black voters an opportunity to elect a candidate of their choice was relevant in the case.

LaCour said he did not think so. He also argued that, because he interprets that VRA does not require proportional representation, the state would prevail..

As was the case during the redistricting special session that wrapped up July 21, the state continued to prioritize Baldwin and Mobile counties as an imperative community of interest.

The three-judge panel expressed frustration at the state’s outright refusal to follow the court’s order to produce a new map that would create two majority-black districts that would allow black voters to elect candidates of their choice.

LaCour told judges he did not believe the state Legislature had to create a second majority black district or an opportunity district to comply with the Voting Rights Act. LaCour further argued that the legislature passed maps on July 21 that followed redistricting principles even though the state passed some of these principles in the same bill that voted the new map into law. Several times during the hearing he claimed that creating two majority-minority districts would violate the Allen v. Milligan ruling.

“I think our position would be, that would be a violation of Allen vs. Milligan,” he said.

Judges questioned the state’s disregard for the order handed down.

“What I hear you saying is the state of Alabama deliberately disregarded our instruction,” said Moorer.

The 2023 map in question created Congressional District 7 with just under 50.65 percent black voting age population. The 2021 map that passed had a BVAP of 55 percent in District 7. The state’s map also includes Congressional District 2, which has a BVAP of just under 40 percent – an increase from 30 percent in the 2021 map.

An interesting twist during the hearing came from a video played from Pringle’s deposition where he explained he was not involved in creating what became known as the Livingston Congressional Plan.

Pringle testified that he lost contact with LaCour and that LaCour was working with Senators on the Livingston plan. He testified that Livingston told him that he would need to substitute the Pringle Communities of Interest plan for the Livingston plan. Pringle refused to do so because he said he felt his plan was a better option to create a remedy for the Section 2 violation.

The map drawn by the state created a District 2 that historically shows how a black preferred candidate cannot win an election. Neither LaCour nor any of the state’s other attorneys disputed that information.

During the hearing, it was clear the state and the plaintiffs had differing opinions on what the scope of the hearing should be and why the parties were there at all.

Judge Marcus repeatedly used a baseball reference asking if they were in the first inning of the first game.

During the hearing, LaCour argued the court should look at the 2023 map differently than the 2021 map. He argued that the Alabama Legislature has the authority to set redistricting guidelines. During the 2023 special session, lawmakers added guidelines to the bill that passed the map. Those guidelines included identifying three specific communities of interest to be kept intact – The Black Belt, the Gulf Coast and the Wiregrass.

Using LaCour’s rationale, Judge Manasco asked him if that meant that the state legislature could simply change the guidelines every time there was a Section 2 violation.

She asked if there was a point where the context becomes somewhat fixed, where the state cannot just simply redefine its principles, and that the court can have a say so in the maps.

LaCour said that sounded a lot like preclearance.

The 2021 redistricting cycle was the first time that Alabama did not redistricting under preclearance. Ten years ago, SCOTUS ruled in Shelby Co. v. Holder that the coverage formula under section 4(b) was invalid. That formula was used to determine which states, and other jurisdictions with a history of racial discrimination in voting, had to submit any changes to their voting policies for federal approval. This policy served to protect voters of color from discrimination in voting.

Another big disagreement between the plaintiffs and the state comes from the Gingles test, and specifically, which Gingles factor was at play in the hearing.

The Gingles test stems from the 1986 case Thornburg v. Gingles, which was the case that established the parameters for using Section 2 violations in voting rights cases.

The Gingles test consists of three criteria: firstly, the minority group should be of a sizeable and sufficiently concentrated population to form a district; secondly, the minority group in question must exhibit political unity; and thirdly, the majority group should display a consolidated political stance that overpowers the voting preferences of the minority group.

The plaintiffs’ attorneys said repeatedly that they should be arguing Gingles 2 and 3 because Gingles 1 was not disputable. The state said the exact opposite – that they were not disputing Gingles 2 and 3, but that the plaintiffs needed to come forward with Gingles 1 evidence to prove the state’s map violates Section 2.

The attorneys have until Saturday, August 19 at 8 a.m. to file any post-findings and conclusions of law. The court did not indicate when it may rule.

Despite being directed to redraw Alabama’s Congressional maps, the Alabama Reapportionment Committee continues to operate under a cloud of limited transparency, raising concerns about the fairness and inclusivity of the redistricting process.

The committee’s persistent lack of openness has ignited criticism, as citizens, minority party lawmakers and advocacy groups argue that a more transparent approach is crucial for ensuring the integrity of electoral representation in the state.

With the state legislature’s special session on redistricting set to start Monday, members of the minority party who are representatives on the Reapportionment Committee questioned when they would receive maps and other pertinent information for the map that the majority party wanted to pass.

On June 8, the United States Supreme Court ruled in favor of Alabamians who sued the state legislature for violating Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act by packing black voters into Congressional District 7 and cracking the remaining black voters across Alabama’s other six congressional districts.

The Alabama Legislature has until July 21 to submit maps that create two majority-minority districts to the three-judge panel.

On Thursday, July 13, the committee discussed four maps and heard from Alabama residents from across the state about what they would like to see Dothan kept in the same district as Montgomery, Mobile and Baldwin counties kept together, Lauderdale County and Jefferson County kept whole.

To kickoff the meeting, Rep. Laura Hall offered an amendment to the redistricting guidelines, where she basically called for the reapportionment committee to comply with Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act.

Committee Co-Chair Chris Pringle said it was unnecessary for the amendment saying the guidelines already required that the legislature comply with Section 2 of the VRA and the United States Constitution

It is important to note that the guidelines from Pringle are the same guidelines that landed the state in court and yielded the plans that the Federal Court and the Supreme Court struck down.

The 2021 guidelines passed 13-6.

How many plans were submitted? Why isn’t more information accessible?

Sen. Vivian Figures asked how many plans had been submitted.

With just days before the start of the special session, Pringle said they had not yet completed the process of going through all of the plans that had been submitted and that he was doing the best that he could.

Sens. Bobby Singleton and Rodger Smitherman both said they had sent letters to Pringle, Sen. Steve Livingston and committee attorney Dorman Walker requesting information about maps that were being drawn by the committee but had not received any information.

“We have functionality reports,” Smitherman said. “On many of these other maps, we have functionality reports. That’s not something that as a member that I should have to wait on. All of us should have access to it. I think it is very important that whatever we have, that all the members get it now. So that we have a chance to review and be able to discuss it.”

Pringle said they processed VRA, Hatcher Remedial, CLC and Singleton.

“We put y’all’s maps first,” Pringle said. “Right now, we’re trying to consolidate and get plans from Alabama residents to you as fast as possible. To be frank, we’re just overwhelmed.”

“I wasn’t aware that this was a y’all process,” said Rep. Chris England. “ We have a court order that we are all supposed to be working on. This isn’t a y’all situation.”

England said that not having access to the map and information that the reapportionment committee would recommend puts members of the committee and the public at a disadvantage.

It’s important to note that lawmakers during the 2021 redistricting cycle members of the reapportionment committee received copies of the proposed map with little time to review the map before being asked to vote on it.

Public Comment

Mike Schmitz, former mayor of Dothan and businessman, said he would love for Dothan to stay in the same district as Montgomery. Schmitz referenced Southeast Gas, which comprises 15 municipalities including Abbeville, Andalusia, Brundidge, Daleville, Dothan, Elba, Enterprise, Eufaula, Greenville, Headland, Luverne, Opp, Ozark, Pike Road and Troy. Southeast Gas and the collaboration among the 15 municipalities has given the Wiregrass and neighboring communities a solid foundation for economic development.

Jeff Brannon, CEO of Flowers Hospital, said he’s lived in the Dothan area all of his life. He is concerned about the collaboration and he said he believes that the economy is strong because of those collaborations, communications and collaborations.

Ronald Jackson of Birmingham and former member of the Alabama Legislature, came to support the Blacksher plan, which is the plan submitted as an amicus brief by Campaign Legal Center, but is being supported by the Singleton plaintiffs.

Jackson supports the plan because it keeps Jefferson County whole.

Birmingham resident David Russell came to speak about the fact that the reapportionment committee failed to elect a black co-chair at its June 27 meeting.

“Until Alabama gets their act together no other state is going to get their act together,” he said.

Russell said the state needed to act like Nick Saban’s football team by putting players up to win.

“I hope we can formulate a football team that will win for the state of Alabama,” he said.

Kathy Jones, president of the League of Women Voters of Alabama, said the League joined in filing an amicus brief to support the Milligan plaintiffs and their request to create two black districts.

Maj. Shalela Dowdy, a plaintiff in the Milligan case, said that the VRA map gives the city of Mobile a real voice in Congress. She said that, currently, the city of Mobile struggles to get its representative to support important issues that would help.

She said the VRA plaintiffs’ plans have been vetted and accepted by the courts.

Khadidah Stone, a plaintiff from Montgomery, said she could not go another 10 years without fair representation for herself or her community.

She said that she supports the VRA plan because it gives black voters a chance to elect black candidates or candidates of their choice.

Letetia Jackson, a plaintiff in the Milligan case, said she had not felt represented at the Federal level for a very long time. She said she had never received any correspondence from her representative until she became a plaintiff in the case. Jackson lives in Dothan and said she agreed with former mayor Schmitz that Dothan should be kept with Montgomery and that the VRA plaintiffs’ map keeps those two cities in the same district.

Jackson said that it is important that leaders represent community members whether they agree with them or not.

“Representation matters,” she said.”That’s the key premise of Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act for what we base our case.”

Evan Milligan, lead plaintiff and executive director of Alabama Forward, said he is six generations removed from slavery and his son and daughter are the seventh generation.

“When I look at them, I want to commit to them inheriting an Alabama that allows them an opportunity to lead, dream and to make contributions to the community, the same that you want for your children and grandchildren,” Milligan said. “When you look out in the audience today, you see lots of young people. What I hope is that you see them as your children, as Alabama’s children.”

Milligan said that Alabama needs to build a place that provides a path forward where young people can see themselves in leadership in the future.

Deuel Ross, lead attorney for the Milligan case, said he was asked by Walker to read from a letter that was sent to him from the Milligan and Caster plaintiffs.

Ross said that in the VRA plaintiff map, the black preferred and black candidates won all the races that were analyzed between 2014 and 2020.

Ross said that SCOTUS considered arguments about communities of interest and they found that the Black Belt is a community of interest.

Sen. Vivian Figures is sponsoring the plaintiffs’ VRA remedial map.

Davin Rosborough, co-counsel on the Milligan case said communities of interest are important. He said that VRA compliance takes precedence over other redistricting policies.

The Rev. Rayford Mack of the Montgomery Metro Chapter of the NAACP said if the committee itself working on the plan is not initiating and coming up with the right things, how is it going to do the right thing?

“We are still fighting for power and privilege,” he said. “We want the privilege to vote which will give us power.”

Mack said that if he had been born white he would not want to give up his privilege, but encouraged legislators to do the right thing.

“It’s time for a change,” he said.

Dr. Joe Reed of the Alabama Democratic Party brought the Hatcher Remedial Congressional Plan.

Reed encouraged the legislators to put Alabama first.

Pringle said that the Hatcher plan split 10 counties and 87 voting precincts.

Reed was questioned by Figures and Pringle about the splitting of voting precincts and Pringle asked Reed if he was specifically looking for black Alabamians when he split voting precincts.

“I keep saying, we’re looking for people,” Reed said. “Anybody tells you you can draw two Black districts and not look for Black, they’re lying to you.”

Another map – Singleton Congressional Map 3 – creates two majority black districts in CD 6 and 7.

“The Singleton plaintiffs support plans that do not split Jefferson County, specifically Singleton map 3, and the CLC map,” Smitherman said. “They showed that it is not necessary – I’m going to say it again – it is not necessary to draw districts along racial lines to provide two opportunity districts, districts in which Black voters have a realistic opportunity to elect candidates of their choice.”

Another map titled CLC Map 1 creates two majority black districts with Jefferson County being its own district.

Sen. Sam Jones raised concerns toward the end of the meeting about not receiving information yet on other maps that could be presented.

He said they discussed four different maps on Thursday and he believes that each map is working toward a remedy of what the courts are looking for.

“I really appreciate the information that we have gotten today,” he said. “There are some maps that we have nothing on, and we don’t know what is being proposed and we go into session on Monday.”

Jones said that he really hoped legislators would get the data before they get to the floor.

Pringle said the reapportionment committee will meet on Monday, July 17 at 10 a.m.

Rep. Hall said that Democrats on the committee want to be a part of the process of coming up with a map from the committee.

Smitherman agreed he wants to get a clear picture of what the map could look like from the committee.

Pringle once again complained about the number of maps that had been submitted and the “terrible time crunch” they are in to get the maps to the court by July 21.

Both Singleton and Smitherman said they could help him.

“This is a really tortured process,” England said.

England wanted to know if Pringle and others planned to go into a room, draw a map and give it to the reapportionment committee and expect them to vote on it with little time to analyze it. He pointed out that the potential map from the reapportionment committee would be the only map that wasn’t vetted by Alabamians.

England acknowledged there are a lot more Republicans than Democrats in the Alabama Legislature and that ultimately the will of Republicans will be done.

“I will be obligated to vote against it because I have nothing to show to my constituents,” he said.

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Khadidah Stone Campaign Strategist, speaks on the historic redistricting case Allen v Milligan from AV/AVP TV on Vimeo.

In a historic decision on Thursday, the Supreme Court of the United States reaffirmed the vital importance of protecting the democratic rights of all Americans by upholding Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act. This ruling serves as a resounding victory for the people, ensuring that every citizen’s voice will continue to be heard and respected in our democracy.

The decision came as part of the Allen v. Milligan case in which plaintiffs, including Alabama Forward Executive Director Evan Milligan and Alabama Forward Chief Field and Campaign Strategist Khadidah Stone joined with Shalela Dowdy, Letetia Jackson, Greater Birmingham Ministries and the Alabama State Conference of the NAACP to argue that Alabama’s Congressional maps violated Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act.

The plaintiffs were represented by Legal Defense Fund (LDF), American Civil Liberties Union, ACLU of Alabama, Hogan Lovells LLP, and Wiggins, Childs, Pantazis, Fisher & Goldfarb.

When the state legislature drew new maps in November 2021, they failed to create a second majority-minority district despite Alabama having a 27 percent Black voting age population.

SCOTUS heard oral arguments in the case on October 4, 2022.

In a surprising 5-4 ruling, SCOTUS said that Alabama’s legislature must redraw the state’s Congressional maps and that race can be used as a factor in redistricting to ensure that people of color have equal voting power. The 2020 Census showed that Alabama’s population is growing more diverse and less white, which means that elected officials should be reflective.

“Today, we celebrate this victory for BIPOC communities and pro-democracy advocates across the country. We are grateful that the Supreme Court upheld what we knew to be true: that everyone deserves to have their vote matter and their voice heard. Today is a win for democracy and freedom not just in Alabama but across the United States,” Milligan said. “This ruling proves that politicians cannot weaken our community representation by distorting congressional lines, particularly in Alabama and Louisiana. The voters will be heard, and this ruling will help secure our futures.

Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act, a cornerstone of civil rights legislation. The Act empowers individuals to challenge discriminatory voting practices and provides essential safeguards to protect against the erosion of voting rights.

The decision comes a few weeks shy of the 10th anniversary of the Shelby v. Holder decision which rendered Section 5 of the VRA inoperable and left Section 2 as the primary way of litigating redistricting cases.

By upholding Section 2, the Supreme Court has ensured that marginalized communities will have the opportunity to elect candidates of their choice. This decision reinforces the principle that the strength of our democracy lies in its inclusivity and diversity, and that every citizen’s voice deserves to be heard, respected, and counted.

“Today, we rejoice in the Supreme Court’s ruling in Allen v. Milligan, siding with freedom and fair democratic processes in our country. Through the organizing and advocacy efforts of thousands across the country, the Supreme Court has acknowledged the strength of the Voting Rights Act to keep the voices of millions of BIPOC people heard,” said Stone. “This ruling holds our elected officials accountable for their politically motivated actions, and voting rights will be protected in Alabama and across the country because of it. We will not allow anti-democratic attempts to continue to overrule fair representation and continued oppression of Black and Brown people. As we look to what’s to come, we remain focused on the fight ahead in building people power and ensuring everyone’s voice is heard and our needs are met. The people will continue to have the final say. We will continue to organize for just and equal access to the ballot box for all — our democracy depends on it, for generations to come.”

This ruling reinforces the critical role of the Voting Rights Act in protecting democratic processes from discrimination and disenfranchisement.

“Today’s ruling of the Supreme Court was a significant win for Black voters in Alabama. For years, voters have suffered through severe gerrymandering – and by correcting the congressional lines, Black Alabamians will no longer feel silenced,” said Kynesha Brown, AF board chair. “Our communities can get the equitable funding and support we deserve to help with quality of life matters such as healthcare and education.”

As Americans celebrate this landmark decision, it’s important to remain vigilant in defending voting rights and combating any attempts to undermine the fabric of our democracy. Civic engagement is as important today as it was during the Civil Rights movement.

“However, we recognize that this fight is far from over. Our Constitution does not explicitly establish the right of voting-age citizens to vote and have their ballots counted – this must change. In order for our traditions of freedom and democracy to continue serving the people, we must have explicitly defined voting rights incorporated into our constitutions and policies at all levels,” Milligan said. “Achieving these goals will require deep community work that will take decades. This movement will ensure the survival of our communities, the judiciary involved in yielding today’s opinion and our country at large. Moving forward, we will continue organizing to ensure that all states draw accurately representative maps that include the say of Black and Brown communities. To Alabamians: We promise to continue mobilizing alongside you to ensure every vote is counted and your voices heard.”

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Voter suppression tactics across the South have always been an issue, but in the last few years, state legislators across the region have ramped up their efforts to further suppress voters of color, people with disabilities and elderly folks.

Alabama Values, partnering with The Southern Leadership for Voter Engagement (SOLVE) , Spotlight PR and Groundwork Project, will bring together voting rights advocates, policy experts, grassroots organizers and litigators who deal with voting rights issues in a briefing under their Democracy Under Attack initiative in an event titled “Empower the Vote: Unmasking Voter Suppression.”

This live event is set for Monday, May 22 at 6 p.m. CST. Register at tinyurl.com/DemocracyUnderAttack2023

“By uniting voices, sharing knowledge and taking collective action, we can ensure that every eligible voter can exercise their democratic right without barriers or hindrances,” said Jordan Davis, interim networks director for voting rights at the Southern Coalition for Social Justice.

The event aims to educate and engage community members about the harmful impact of such laws on democratic participation and to galvanize support for protecting the fundamental right to vote. State legislatures have used tactics such as stricter voter ID laws, gerrymandering, reducing early voting opportunities, purging voter rolls, and closing polling places in predominantly Black neighborhoods.

The event will be moderated by former Congressman Joe Kennedy III, who is the founder of the Groundwork Project, who advocates for a more responsive and representative democracy that can deliver justice, equity, and opportunity for all.

Speakers include:

• Dillon Nettles, policy and advocacy director at ACLU-Alabama;

• Charles Taylor Jr., executive director of the Mississippi State Conference of NAACP;

• Yael Bromberg, Esq., a national leading scholar of the 26th Amendment, special counsel and strategic advisor for The Andrew Goodman Foundation and principal of Bromberg Law LLC;

• Kiana Jackson, research and coalition organizing manager at New Disabled South;

• Jamal Watkins, senior vice president of strategy and advancement for NAACP,

“We hope this event highlights the coordinated attacks being launched on voting rights. By bringing together this dynamic panel of experts we hope to emphasize the urgent need to address attacks on voting rights through the collaborative lens of community organizers, lawyers, policy advocates, and directly impacted communities,” said Anneshia Hardy, executive director of Alabama Values. “The ongoing challenges to voting rights require a multifaceted approach that integrates different perspectives and expertise. We hope that people leave the event thinking about ways to get involved in the efforts to combat attacks on voting rights. By embracing our collective power, we can work towards an inclusive and robust democratic system that upholds the principles of equality, justice, and fair representation.”

During the event, speakers will provide valuable insights into the far-reaching consequences of voter suppression legislation, will highlight the potential disenfranchisement of marginalized communities, the undermining of democratic principles and the erosion of voting rights that many fought and died to secure.

“Across the nation, we are seeing a wave of orchestrated anti-democracy efforts that threaten human rights and the rule of law,” Bromberg said. “Young voters have always offered the tenacity and clarity to right these wrongs, from the nation’s founding, through the First and Second Reconstructions, and today. The removal of youth voter obstacles, and the expansion of youth voting opportunities, is as American as apple pie, and will help provide the fortitude that this nation needs through its ebbs and flows of moral courage.”

Through thought-provoking discussions, attendees will gain a deeper understanding of the historical context and current challenges surrounding voter suppression and become equipped with knowledge and resources to empower them to protect their voting rights.

“As it has been for generations, the South is on the frontlines of democracy protection today. Local organizers and leaders don’t need outsiders coming in and telling them how to respond, they need support to deepen and amplify the work they’re already doing – which is why Groundwork is so proud to be a part of Democracy Under Attack,” said Emily Kaufman, executive director of Groundwork Project.

To register for the event, visit www.tinyurl.com/DemocracyUnderAttack2023.

“Historically, the church served as a hub, and we believe it’s important to get back to those roots in order to build stronger communities,” said Cara McClure, founder of Faith and Works. “(Re) Vote Black Church Community Voter Project’s most important goals are to organize and help rebuild the relationship between the church and the community. We can rebuild our political muscle when community activists and faith leaders work together to increase voter engagement, education and participation.”

The project, which was originally launched in September 2022, conducts non-traditional outreach efforts to meet non-registered and low propensity voters where they are. The project is modeled after Jesus’s approach to evangelism. Jesus always met the needs of the people before charging them with growing the mission.

Organizers believe a served community will be “an empowered to serve community” and look to this crusade as a solution to apathy and low voter engagement.

The goal is to create a minimum of 300 social and civic action ministries across Alabama by 2026 and equip and empower the communities to set their own agendas based on their communities’ needs. Additionally, the goal is also to mass engage a minimum of 20 percent of the population across Alabama.

“The work that Cara McClure does with (Re)Vote Black Church Community Voter Project through her organization Faith & Works gives me so much hope, inspiration, and a second wind in this fight for justice,” said Pastor Ramone Billingsley of Mt. Carmel Missionary Baptist Church. “If you are a church, concerned citizen that does not know how to get involved with civic issues or issues in your neighborhood or community, reach out to Cara or someone on her team! The workshops and training sessions she is doing have depth, relevance, vision, practicality, and an end goal in mind! I am more hopeful than I have ever been because of this project! The Black Church is not dead!”

The project’s goal is to create (Re) Vote Black Church Community Network to cultivate intentional long-term engagement and relationship building between the Black church and the community to increase voter turnout and provide civic and voter literacy. The goal is to encourage Black voters to vote in every election and to ensure the voters will be educated about voting choices and resources available at their local churches. Once the fellows complete the fellowship, they are then invited into the network to help build sustainability.

The new cohort of fellows include church members who were nominated by their pastor to lead their new civic engagement ministries, which moves the (Re) Vote Black Church Community Voter Project closer to the goal of 300 social and civic action ministries across the state. The fellows include:

• Loretta Brown, Remnant Restoration Ministries;

• Alfred Hunt, Noble Chapel CME;

• Asha Sims, West End Hills MBC;

• Carla Brown, St. Paul AME Church;

• DeJourna Evans, Bryan Chapel;

• Jasmine McVay, St. Matthew AME Church Oxmoor;

• Stephanie Johnson, Revelation Church Ministries

• Telisa Little, First Baptist East Bessemer

• Juanita Smith, Victory Tabernacle Church of God in Christ;

• Dorothy Braggs, Apostolic Temple of Praise;

• Rosamarie Richardson, Wheeling Chapel MBC;

• Marcella Spearman, Mount Hebron Missionary Baptist Church;

• Diandra Cohill, Greater Saint John Baptist Church;

• Asiah Borden, Ebenezer Victory Empowerment Church;

• Regina Thompson, Upper Room Fellowship Church;

• Rolinda Burks, Lighthouse Church Ministries;

• Rosa Williams, Temple of Hope Church;

• Ramone Billingsley, Mt. Carmel Missionary Baptist Church;

• Gwendolyn Woods, First Baptist Church Mason City;

• Shari Broadnax, C2 Nation Bham;

• Linda Griggs, Believers Temple Church-Docena;

• Eula Henderson, Another Chance Ministry;

• Rose Burgess, Mt.Moriah Missionary Baptist Church North Pratt;

• Sacoria Ware, Believers Temple Church -Brighton; and

• Christopher Ruffin, Triumph Church

Fellows were honored in a kickoff event on Friday, May 5 in downtown Birmingham with guest speakers Dr. Richard Arrington, Birmingham’s first Black mayor and Mrs. Vanessa Pettway, a local author.

A majority-black town ravaged by a hailstorm on March 26 desperately needs help after more than 400 homes were damaged.

Nearly six weeks after the devastation, the Federal Emergency Management Agency made assistance available, but it’s not the type of assistance that will help residents with their cleanup efforts.

Camp Hill, a town located in Tallapoosa County with a population of around 1,000 citizens, was ransacked by softball to grapefruit-sized hail for some 20 minutes.

More than a month after the storm, tarps are still being placed on homes that received damage.

Friday’s disaster declaration only makes funds available for state, tribal, local governments, and nonprofits dealing with cost-sharing for emergency work and replacement of facilities that were damaged by the storms.

Organizers are still working to get a disaster declaration for individual assistance.

Warren Tidwell, executive director of Alabama Center for Rural Organizing and Systemic Solutions, (ACROSS), said there are more than 400 homes that are in need of roof repair. Another issue community members are facing is that some 80 to 90 percent of the community’s cars were totaled.

This is a town that doesn’t have a grocery store, doesn’t have a laundromat, and doesn’t have a pharmacy. Like many Southern towns it has a Dollar General, but it’s a mile away across a major highway,” Tidwell said. “So even walking there is hazardous, and with the population with elderly folks and disabled folks we have, it’s just not realistic.

The town of Camp Hill has declared a state of emergency and the Tallapoosa County EMA has submitted an application for disaster declaration.

Alabama Values reached out to Governor Kay Ivey’s office who referred staff to Alabama EMA, but officials there have not responded with any updates despite being instructed by the Governor’s office to do so.

We also reached out to FEMA who said, “Alabama Emergency Management Agency is best suited to answer your questions.” From the outside, some homes look undamaged, but inside there are major leaks, roof damage, and many are sleeping in one room of their homes.

Tidwell said that if there was a category for hailstorms, the one that struck Camp Hill would be a category 5.

Camp Hill resident Rosalie Bundy said she was asleep in her home in Camp Hill when the storm rolled through the town.

It just sounded like someone throwing big rocks against the wall to me,” she said. “I got up and got dressed and went to the foot of the bed. I got dressed because I said, ‘They might have to take me out of here.’

When the storm subsided, Bundy said she looked out and found that her windows were broken. Camp Hill resident Tywanda Greer said that her family of four is having to sleep on the couch. “They donated food and the Red Cross gave us a donation,” she said. “I’ve been trying to get them to come out and redo my roof, but they said they couldn’t do it at the time because I didn’t have the money.” She said Tidwell is working to help her get her roof fixed. Resident Red Walton’s ceiling fell through from the weight of the water. “A day later, when sheetrock gets wet it just gets heavier,” he said. “I was sitting in the chair watching ‘Gunsmoke’ and ‘Laramie’ and there was a noise.”Walton said he went to check on the noise and the whole ceiling had fallen. Resident Jessie Francis said he’s never seen anything like the hailstorm.

“Everybody was affected by it,” he said. “It’s real hard, it’s already a little poor town. It’s so limited with jobs. It’s hard for the people. It was just tragic.”

Fire Chief Josh Darling said he was on an ambulance call in the town next door and was told to stand by and wait. “It was a short period of time, but it was a long time,” he said. “You could tell it had rained, but it wasn’t until I received a phone call at 4 a.m., to come to the fire station that had been ruined in the hailstorm.”

Organizers and the city have a volunteer relief headquarters set up where they are keeping track of requests. They had 223 requests, but without volunteers and help, they had to change the way they used a system to meet the needs of the residents. Volunteer firefighters have been working to tarp houses.

“We are basing everything on donations and the generosity of people’s hearts to come in and help,” Darling said.

“A (disaster) declaration changes the ballgame,” Tidwell said the town’s new storm shelter which they have been working to get opened for years opened the day before the storm. “It’s extremely important that we have this,” he said.

Tidwell said that the natural disaster has opened the eyes of a predominately white working class fire department who are seeing the realizations of systemic racism and how it impacts majority black communities.

“To hear these people who traditionally would not have necessarily seen it that way, it’s been something to see,” he said. “This has been one of the few silver linings.”

Studies have shown that natural disasters disproportionately impact black communities.

A recent study from Florida State University found black and brown participants experienced a multitude of mental health issues, including significant feelings of fear, loss and hopelessness, while also exhibiting distrust in systems designed to provide relief after natural disasters.

Residents feel they have been forgotten.

“I feel it has been forgotten, I think they never knew,” Busby said. Francis said he felt that people don’t care about his town because it is so small.

“I think it’s been forgotten about. We need everything, food, transportation, and money because everybody’s got to be out of work,” he said. It’s really hard to see that nobody’s trying to help. How can people be so cold-hearted when people are in need. They just overlook us. Don’t just say it. Be about it. Put out a helping hand. We are human like everyone else.”

Those who wish to help should contact Tidwell at 334-663-5472. Volunteers can also report to the volunteer resource center set up in town at 41 Heard St. in Camp Hill.

On the heels of a major attack on democracy in Tennessee this week and the rise in anti-democratic legislation across the South, Alabama Values, partnering with The Southern Leadership for Voter Engagement (SOLVE) Spotlight PR and Groundwork Project, has launched an initiative to combat the collective attacks on freedom and democracy happening across the South and connect community issues to people’s front door.

Attacks on democracy are not new to Alabama or the South. Just this week, two black Democratic lawmakers were expelled from the Republican-controlled Tennessee House of Representatives, while another white female lawmaker was allowed to stay after they rallied for gun control after a deadly school shooting in Nashville.

There has been an uptick in legislation including making voting less accessible, drawing district lines that violate the Voting Rights Act, passing the country’s most stringent abortion ban, allocating billions of dollars for new prisons without addressing prison reform and passing discriminatory bills against transgender children.

The Democracy Under Attack initiative will consist of in-person and virtual events, public briefings, training and workshops to educate, engage and mobilize communities around issues and solutions.

“​​It is no secret that democracy and freedom are under attack around the world, particularly in the South. It is important to recognize that democracy is not a passive endeavor,” said AV Executive Director Anneshia Hardy. “It requires active participation and engagement from all of us. The first step in protecting democracy is to educate ourselves about the issues at hand. This means staying informed about current events and being aware of the ways in which our freedoms are being threatened. We hope this initiative will create entry points for citizens to get involved in the efforts to bring the change they want to see in their communities.”

Advocacy and media organizations are joining Alabama Values to help counter these attacks on democracy.

These organizations have a long-standing history and play a critical role in supporting a wide array of fights for freedom and democracy.

The Groundwork Project, founded by former Congressman Joe Kennedy, in an effort to provide support for local community organizers in states from the Deep South to Appalachia and the Plains where grassroots work around pro-democracy have typically been written off or underfunded.

Spotlight PR, founded by Jennifer Farmer, a social justice public relations firm that works with grassroots leaders and advocates for racial and social justice. Farmer is an award-winning writer, author, trainer Her work has appeared in publications such as Thrive Global!, Blavity, Society for Nonprofits, Chronicle of Philanthropy, CNN, The Root, HuffPost, LifeHack, PR Daily, Red Letter Christians and more.

SOLVE, a network of civic and advocacy organizations working collaboratively across the south to stand against repressive voting practices and to educate the public around voting

“I fundamentally believe that collective attacks on our democracy should be countered with collective fights to organize and galvanize communities around civic engagement,” said Jordan Davis, interim networks director for voting rights at the Southern Coalition for Social Justice. “The Democracy Under Attack initiative will produce monumental benefits that will last for years to come. I am looking forward to uplifting the unsung heroes in this work and providing a space for voting rights advocates to engage in proactive defense to undemocratic practices.”

The first event under the initiative will be held April 11 at 6 p.m. The title of the event is Democracy Under Attack: As Goes The South, So Goes The Nation.

During the event, panelists will take a deep dive into attacks on voting rights, LGBTQ+ communities, Medicaid Expansion, reproductive health care, and other attacks they are seeing in their legislatures. Across the South, there are a lot of similarities in bills being introduced and passed that attack marginalized communities.

The South has been ground zero for many of the anti-democratic policies we’re battling with around the nation. Tune in for an unapologetic conversation with advocates regarding unfair practices and policies and directly-impacted communities.

Speakers will include:

• Ashley Shelton, founder, president and CEO of Louisiana’s Power Coalition for Equity and Justice

• Karuna Ramachandran, redistricting director, ProGeorgia

• Matia Powell, executive director of Civic TN;

• J. Sailor Jones, associate director of Common Cause North Carolina

• Nsombi Lambright, executive director of One Voice

“We will never get to the point where we can shift into cruise control. That is not what our ancestors fought for — this moment requires no less than to hold the line on what they fought for and to continue to position future generations for success,” Shelton said.

Ramachandran agreed.

“Those who wish to take us back to the dark ages are investing so many resources into achieving their goals. It’s a long term strategy,” Ramachandran said. “We have to shine the light on their true intentions every step of the way and continue to invest in the democracy we want.”

“While North Carolina voters are no strangers to distorted districts and voter suppression ahead of high-profile presidential elections, unlike prior years, a newly-conservative state supreme court, now in lockstep with an anti-voter legislature, will not save us,” Jones said. “Instead, it will be up to the state’s “fourth branch” of government — the people, public interest and the press — to inform, inspire, and mobilize for the reforms and resistance we’ll need to make our voices heard in the free and fair elections we deserve.”

You can watch it on Youtube Live and Facebook Live.

Reproductive rights advocates and community members will gather in Birmingham on March 25 for an event that brings together art and the fight for reproductive justice.

The ReFrame is a pop-up artivism event under It’s My Body. Period., an Alabama Values’ initiative in collaboration with reproductive rights partners across Alabama.

“Art has played an increasingly important role in amplifying the voices of marginalized communities,” said Anneshia Hardy, executive director of Alabama Values. “Art has the power to evoke emotions, provoke thought, and inspire action, making it an effective tool for sparking conversations that can move us towards transformative change. As we continue to grapple with pressing social issues, it is clear that art will continue to be a powerful tool for raising awareness and inspiring the next generation of change agents.”

It’s My Body. Period is a content-heavy educational series and outreach centering around the reproductive fight with the goal of closing the knowledge gap around reproductive justice. AV and its partners hope to tear down the frames of misinformation that wreak havoc on the movement to fight for reproductive rights.

AV teamed up with Yellowhammer Fund, URGE, Project Say Something, PowerHouse, The Knights and Orchids Society , Planned Parenthood Southeast Human Rights Campaign, and 21 Dreams.

The ReFrame will feature thought-provoking art created by local artists around reproductive health care and abortion, as well as a panel discussion featuring activists and artists.

“The Reframe is to look at the way we see reproductive justice in the South and abortion rights. We are doing this event in a way that really brings in artistry and looking at the way we can use art as a caveat for justice in the South,” said Jenice Fountain, executive director of Yellowhammer Fund.

The event will also feature an art talk led by 21 Dreams’ Executive Director Kalonji Gilchrist and a panel discussion.

“I fell in love with storytelling at a young age. Always been enamored with music and visuals to music, but also how stories are being told through a black lens,” Gilchrist said. “I realized that art is an entry point into communities. I understood the impact and how these stories and connecting to people really move people to make changes or persuade or entertain them.”

The panel discussion topics will include:

• Shifts in reproductive rights work post-Roe, with Jenice Fountain, executive director of Yellowhammer Fund.

• Abortion and the Trans Community, with Jennine Bell, TKO Society and Carmarion D. Anderson Harvey, Human Rights Campaign

• The Role Youth Activism Plays in Reproductive Rights, with Shante Wolfe, URGE

• Reproductive health care policy in an ultra-conservative state, with Stephen Stetson, Planned Parenthood Southeast and Mia Raven, P.O.W.E.R. House

“I’m super excited to use art as a way to promote the idea of reproductive health and reproductive justice,” said Stephen Stetson, Alabama State Director of Planned Parenthood Southeast. “ A lot of people get moved in their heart by art.”

“I’m very excited to be a part of this initiative bringing artivism into reproductive rights,” said Jennine Bell, co-founder of TKO Society. “Artvisim has definitely been an important piece in our work, and telling stories and making sure that folks understand why we need resources and where our community wants to show up for themselves. I think this is going to be a great opportunity to showcase reproductive rights. I think for me it is a very exciting experience to witness some work outside the abortion ban.”

The event will be held from 6 p.m. – 9 p.m. at Asthetik Bham, located at 212 24th St N, Birmingham, AL 35203. Must RSVP to attend. Space is limited. To sign up for the event visit, tinyurl.com/reframersvp.

Selma Recap final from AV/AVP TV on Vimeo.

Coretta Scott King once said, “The greatness of a community is most accurately measured by the compassionate actions of its members.”

On Friday, grassroots organizers from area organizations came together for a day of service as they helped distribute food to Selma residents and packed supplies needed for residents in the Beloit and Orrville communities in the aftermath of a tornado that ripped through the heart of the city.

Residents in Dallas County were struck by an EF-2 tornado on January 12, 2023, which was one of 13 tornadoes that ravaged Alabama on that day. The tornado was on the ground for 26 minutes and cut a path nearly half a mile wide, according to the National Weather Service. It began just east of Orrville near the intersection of Hwy. 22 and Cahaba Road following a track that was nearly parallel with Hwy. 22. The tornado made its way into downtown Selma where Broad Street sustained heavy damage as well as the neighborhoods near Minter Avenue, Leroy Street and Marie Foster Street, where roofs were lifted off of homes causing utter devastation throughout the community.

More than a week later, damage in the Queen City is still widespread, but recovery efforts are in full swing.

On Friday, the Beacon Center, a ministry of Metropolitan United Methodist Church in Montgomery along with Delta Pi Lambda, Alpha Phi Alpha, First Baptist Church, City Councilman Billy Young and Southside Church of Christ, held a mobile food pantry at First Baptist Church on Martin Luther King Street.

Twenty-eight pallets of frozen meat, produce and other goods were on hand to help Selma residents affected by the tornado. This is the first of several mobile food pantries the Beacon Center plans to bring to Selma to continue their support of Selma residents as they recover from the tornado. The next mobile pantry will be Friday, February 3.

The need for a food pantry came after Roy Salisbury, who is a member of Alpha Phi Alpha, spent last week helping a Selma resident cleanup debris and the pair saw someone digging in the trash for groceries.

“I reached out to my fraternity brother, Richard Williams, and he answered the call with the mobile pantry,” he said.

More than 300 households were reached during the mobile pantry on Friday as cars lined the street for hours to get a carload of groceries. One hundred cars were served in the first 40 minutes of the drive and they hit more than 200 by 2:20 p.m.

“We are committing to doing more and more pantries,” said Pastor Richard Williams of Metropolitan United Methodist Church. “When someone’s pantry is wiped out it takes a while to build it back up, and we want to help them do that so they don’t have to choose between that and buying things such as medicine.”

State Sen. Rob Stewart served at the mobile food pantry helping direct traffic.

“Historic First Baptist Church on MLK has been a beacon of civil rights,” he said. “They have been feeding people every day since the disaster. One of the things we have to continue to do is solve food insecurity and today, we have fresh fruit, fresh produce and food from the people at Metropolitan. Our people are budget stretched with many people paying for hotels while they are awaiting FEMA and their insurance companies.”

Just down the road on Broad Street, The Knights & Orchids Society and Hometown Organizing Project were busy loading supplies to take to the Beloit and Orrville communities.

“As we support those affected by this recent devastation, it helps our entire community know that by coming together we can all make a positive difference,” said Jennine Bell, co-director of TKO Society. “We’ve been providing those in need with water, hot meals, diapers and baby essentials, as well as shelter. Other local businesses and organizations are in this with us, doing all that they can as well. So even in times like this, it just goes to show that Selma is not only home to those who have great strength, but great hope and a deep sense of community.”

TKO Society will deliver a truckload of supplies to the Beloit Community Center at 11 a.m., on Saturday, January 21. Supplies include diapers, wipes, baby food, pull-ups, hand sanitizer, sanitizing wipes, snacks, and more.

Warren Tidwell, community resilience organizer at Hometown Organizing Project, joined in helping TKO Society as part of their disaster response, but has also been assessing damage and needs across the state.

“Hometown Organizing has been in every county hit by the tornadoes,” Tidwell said.

He emphasized the importance of long-term recovery help for Selma and other rural areas impacted by the tornadoes.

Tidwell said he has spent the week assessing the needs across Alabama so that his organization can work to best support the needs of the communities.

“There is a lot of help going on now and that’s great,” Tidwell said. “But there will be a long-term need for help and there is a need to maintain that energy. Our organization will be second responders and will be here for the long term working in rural communities to ensure their recovery.”

Stewart said there is a huge need for cleaning up trees on private property, baby formula, diapers, shovels, rakes, snacks, and bottled water.

City Council President Billy Young said that the major goal right now is to make sure that Selma residents’ immediate needs are met.

He said there is a large need for tarps to help residents cover their homes until repair work can be completed to help prevent further damage.

“There is a need for hygiene products and blankets and pillows,” he said “A lot of people don’t have bedding and some are trying to stay at their homes.”

Young said anyone who has access to chainsaws, there is a huge need for help with cleanup.

“We need their expertise,” he said.

Young said those who are able to help with cleanup can contact one of the two command centers at the Dallas County Courthouse Annex or at the George Evans Reception Building.

“Of course, they can contact any church, as well,” he said.

Young was thankful for the outpouring of support to Selma.

“We are a community of nonprofits and churches and they are the heart of our community,” he said. “Love is an action, and we are being shown love through these demonstrations of love. Disaster really puts things into perspective for you.”

“This will be a long, yet persistent recovery long after the cameras are gone,” Stewart said.

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The Ordinary People Society (TOPS) in partnership with Alabama Values, Transform Alabama, Black Voters Matter, HICA, Lift our Vote, and others, hosted an early screening of “The Alabama Solution”, a documentary about the Alabama prison system, in Selma, AL, October 12.

Selma is not just a five letter word. It is history. It represents blood sweat and tears poured out in the name of civil rights.

“Selma was the site of one of the most significant events in the civil rights movement — Bloody Sunday. To protest the obstacles faced by Black voters and the murder of activist Jimmie Lee Jackson, peaceful demonstrators attempted to march across Selma’s Edmund Pettus Bridge and were met with violence at the hands of state troopers. Footage of the brutal attacks shocked the nation and eventually spurred the passage of the 1965 Voting Rights Act,” said the US Civil Rights Trail.

“The film offers an unfiltered view inside a system where overcrowding, untreated addiction and violence are routine, and where official oversight is almost nonexistent,” said The Marshall Project, in a recent article.

Scenes from the documentary show blood-streaked walls and trash-strewn corridors where men wander as if they’re in trances — a haunting reality of the neglect present inside Alabama’s prisons.

Co-director Andrew Jarecki, in a recent article by AL News stated, “We want to show viewers the truth about a system that has been cloaked in secrecy. We hope the film sparks an effort to allow access for journalists and others so the public can have transparency into how incarcerated citizens are treated and how our tax dollars are being spent. We hope to inspire Alabama’s leadership to acknowledge the crisis and to overhaul its prison system and its use of forced labor.”

“The Alabama Solution” should spark conversation within your community and those around you — there has to be a change.

According to the Alabama Reflector, “The Montgomery premiere is among about 60 community screenings that are scheduled nationwide. Half are set for Alabama.”

No one should go through the treatment depicted in this documentary. It is the harsh reality for many incarcerated citizens within the Alabama prison system—but it is not their story. This is about God-given rights every individual is entitled to.

This is not about politics— it is about the simple truth that people do not deserve to get treated like animals.

Get in touch with local lawmakers, Advocate for change, Don’t sit silently when our voice is needed more than ever.

Don’t miss future screenings:

• October 26- Dothan Civic Center (Learn more here)

• November 5- Alabama A&M University (Learn more here)

• November 22- Huntsville Progressive Union Missionary Baptist (Learn more here)

Watch “The Alabama Solution” streaming on HBO now.

The case – Robinson v. Ardoin – has been on hold while the United States Supreme Court weighed its decision in Alabama’s Allen v. Milligan case, which was nearly identical to Louisiana’s.

In Louisiana, Black individuals constitute one-third of the entire population. This case presents an opportunity to establish two congressional districts out of the total six, where Black voters can elect representatives of their preference.

SCOTUS ruled 5-4 in the Allen v. Milligan case on June 8, 2022, that Alabama’s maps did violate Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act, which paved the way for Robinson v. Ardoin to proceed.

Robinson v. Ardoin was filed after the Louisiana legislature passed a congressional map in March 2022 that included just one out of six districts with a majority of Black voters. This was particularly troubling because Louisiana’s Black population has seen growth and now comprises roughly one-third of the state’s population, according to data from the 2020 Census. Louisiana has also seen a pattern of racially polarized voting that has diluted Black voting power in other Congressional districts.

After the adoption of the map, a lawsuit was filed challenging the Louisiana congressional map under Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act. The plaintiffs in this case include the Louisiana State Conference of the NAACP, Power Coalition for Equity and Justice, as well as individuals named Press Robinson, Dorothy Nairne, E. René Soulé, Alice Washington, and Clee Ernest Lowe.

The focus of Friday’s hearing revolved around an injunction issued by a federal judge, which is currently being contested by Louisiana Secretary of State Kyle Ardoin and Attorney General Jeff Landry.

In 2022, U.S. District Judge Shelly Dick issued this injunction, expressing concerns that a congressional map crafted by the Republican-majority Legislature that year was likely in violation of Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act.

It is unclear what direction the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals will take in the case with several options being on the table.

During Friday’s proceedings, Judge Jennifer Walker Elrod, part of a three-judge panel presiding over the case at the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, floated the idea that the injunction, mandating a new congressional map for the 2024 elections, might remain in effect. Simultaneously, there could be a trial on the substantive issues of the case that could potentially lead to further adjustments to the map before the 2026 elections. However, Elrod also hinted at the possibility that the court might dismiss the 2022 injunction, instead opting for an expedited trial process, with the aim of resolving the issues well before the upcoming elections in the next year.

During the oral arguments, the state did say it did not feel that Alabama’s and Louisiana’s cases were the same.

Attorney Phillip Strach, representing Ardoin, made the case that creating a single district by connecting far-apart regions solely based on race is not acceptable. He argued that the proposed Black district, which links parts of Baton Rouge to the rural Delta area in northern Louisiana, goes against established court rules for keeping districts compact.

The Delta area is Louisiana’s equivalent to Alabama’s Black Belt, which has been deemed a community of interest by the federal courts.

Strach said that the plaintiffs were attempting to connect black populations in the Delta by using whole parishes as “white land bridges” to achieve that.

At one point Strach, responding to Judge Elrod, said that SCOTUS ruled that the Black Belt in Alabama was a community of interest not because of race, but because of its soil, and there was no argument made like in Louisiana where the court is trying to stitch together black populations to form a community of interest based on skin color.

“What they tried to do through their expert, Mr. Anthony Fairfax; well, they tried to say, well, socioeconomic factors make this a compact population,” he said. “But that’s wrong.”

Judge Southwick said that it was appropriate to focus on different factors to achieve a community of interest.

“Why is what you did right and what Chief Judge Dick did wrong?” Southwick asked.

Strach said that the district court made a legal mistake in applying the population compactness requirements under Gingles 1.

“That’s a separate question,” Southwick said. “I’m looking at what’s the right community to be looking at. Is it socioeconomic? Is it something else? And it seems to me that she made at least some findings that this was the right way that we would join the parishes that she joined that would satisfy a community of interest.”

Judge Elrod pushed Strach about what he was saying was the legal mistake made by the U.S. District Court.

Strach said that the court approved or allowed the plaintiffs to use the illustrious districts that did not contain geographically compact population to demonstrate the violation.

Attorneys for the plaintiffs argued that there are distinct characteristics and examples that connect Baton Rouge to the Delta including similar social and economic interests.

Attorney for the plaintiffs Stuart Naifeh said that Milligan was similar in that it connected the urban area of Mobile with the rural area of the Alabama Black Belt, where in Louisiana they are connecting Baton Rouge with the Delta. He said that the District Court did not address how Mobile was split.

Naifeh said the way that Baton Rouge is divided in the illustrious map is the way that it is divided in the state’s map, but they are including more of East Baton Rouge parish in the new district so they aren’t carving out just the northern part of the city.

“There is evidence that there are shared interests in the population of East Baton Rouge and the Delta in that they perform as a community of interest such that redrawing the district would provide an opportunity to elect a candidate of their choice,” Naifeh said.

He said that it includes most of the Delta parishes and most of the Black population in the Delta.

Abha Khanna, an attorney with the Elias Law Group, one of the firms representing the plaintiffs, who have sued the state, argued the importance of upholding the injunction and getting the new map drawn.

“The plaintiffs should not be forced to play chicken with the election calendar,” she said.

Judges pressed the state on giving a deadline of when they need the new map, if one is granted, for it to be used in the 2024 election.

After a little bit of uncertainty, the state said by the end of May 2024.

Judge Elrod Naifeh, who represents the Robinson plaintiffs, if there was standing due to the NAACP having members across each of the districts.

He said they have plaintiffs in each of the districts that will be used to draw the new district.

She also asked Naifeh why they shouldn’t remand and have a trial before the end of the year.

“It’s far from clear that there could be trials on the merits by the end of year,” he said. “There would need to be a remedial process. This interim map we are asking for may never be used.”

The goal is to ensure that the map that is in place for the 2024 election has two majority black congressional districts.

Southwick asked Naifeh if there needed to be a trial based on what happened in Alabama saying the briefing did not say anything about a trial.

“Is this really the same issue as Alabama?” Southwick said.

Naifeh said there is one relevant difference: the court asked the state of Alabama when they needed the maps and an answer was given, but the state of Louisiana had not done that yet.

Naifeh also said the plaintiffs had not issue with the state of Louisiana redrawing a map as it is one of the state’s functions to conduct redistricting; however, the concern is that they have used it as a delay tactic to put the new maps too close to the deadline to use in the 2024 election.

Now, Louisianans will have to wait for the 5th Circuit to make a decision.

Ashley Shelton, founder of Power Coalition for Equity & Justice said that it was important that the people get all the power that belongs to them.

“With the second largest black population per capita – 33 percent – it is really important to us to make sure that with this congressional map that not only do we get two minority districts, but that we get all the power that belongs to black and other communities of color to be able to elect candidates of their choice that understand their experience and the issues and the needs of their communities,” she said.

Jared Evans, senior policy counsel for NAACP LDF, who is representing the Robinson plaintiffs said they were confident after the hearing in the case they presented.

“This is the case we have been litigating for over two years now to get my home state of Louisiana a second majority black Congressional district. The 2020 Census results showed that the black population increased and that we can draw a map with two majority black congressional districts. We came in confident (to the hearing) and are leaving confident. We built a really, really strong record. The facts are on our side, the law is on our side and the record is on our side.”

Laketa Smith, executive director of A Bella LaFemme Society, said she was feeling optimistic about the court hearing.

“The judges actually listened to both sides of the arguments, we are looking at actually having a fair map by the elections of 2024,” she said. “Our team made a really great opening arguments. It can be kind of emotional when you are doing this work and wanting to make sure that this happens. You can always tell when it’s a good day because everyone is still trickling out of the courtroom. This is a fight we have to continue.”

Lady Carlson, lead organizer for Westside Sponsoring Committee said they are hopeful the 5th Circuit will decide in their favor.

“I think the argument about not enough time is disingenuous by the state,” she said. “And so I’m hoping the judges will not fall for that. It’s very interesting that the state made the argument about Baton Rouge not being a community of interest with the Delta. People from Lake Providence move to Baton Rouge, there all kinds of relationships across the state. There are Baptist conventions that include the northern part of the state along with the southern state. They are communities of interest.”

“We’re thankful that the federal court heard our argument. We are thankful to the many people who also heard our argument and showed their support by filling the federal courtroom and even the overflow room a few weeks ago,” said Evan Milligan, lead plaintiff in Allen v. Milligan and executive director of Alabama Forward. “Prior to that hearing, we had hoped our state legislature and governor would have heard us as well. Had they listened to the Supreme Court, we could have saved our state some money and avoided this Groundhogs’s Day loop that some in our state want us to remain trapped within. Nevertheless, we know that fair maps provide a way out of this trap. And we will do every decent thing in our power to ensure that our state produces district maps that comply with the Voting Rights Act our elders fought and died to realize for us. Amen and onward.”

The decision by a three-judge panel – Circuit Judge Stanley Marcus and District Judges Terry Moorer and Anna Manasco – wasn’t a surprise as the three judges appeared skeptical of the state’s map at the August 14 hearing.

The state had been ordered to draw two majority-minority districts to give Black voters the opportunity to elect candidates of their choice to represent them in Congress after both the same federal court and the United States Supreme Court agreed the 2021 map violated Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act.

“Twice, Alabama lawmakers have been asked to draw fair congressional districts that give Black Alabamians the opportunity to elect a candidate of their choice,” said JaTaune Bosby-Gilchrist, executive director of ACLU Alabama. “ And twice, a panel of federal judges have found that Alabama lawmakers failed to do so. Elected officials ignored their responsibilities and chose to violate our democracy. We hope the court’s special master helps steward a process that ensures a fair map that Black Alabamians and our state deserve.”

The 2023 map in question created Congressional District 7 with just under 50.65 percent black voting age population. The 2021 map that passed had a BVAP of 55 percent in District 7. The state’s map also includes Congressional District 2, which has a BVAP of just under 40 percent – an increase from 30 percent in the 2021 map.

The judges ruled on the case today, Sept. 5, saying the state’s attempt at the map likely did not fix the VRA Section 2 violation. The court ordered the special master to present three map plans that will remedy the Section 2 violation by Sept. 25, 2023.

Dr. Adia Winfrey, executive director of Transform Alabama said the court’s decision was the only logical next step.

“Like in centuries past, equal justice for Black Alabamians has to be decided by the judicial branch of government,” she said. “And while the special master works out the details of the Congressional maps, Transform Alabama is harnessing this moment to show the power of the vote. There are thousands of Black Alabamians who believe their vote has no power, and they stay home on Election Day. Transform Alabama is using Hip Hop culture and Alabama’s redistricting process to change this thinking. We are encouraged by today’s decision.”

The court’s order gives specific mandates on the data, configuration and other components needed for the remedial plans.

The court specifically said each plan should “completely remedy the likely Section 2 violation identified in this Court’s order of September 5, 2023. Each map shall remediate the essential problem found in the 2023 Plan – the unlawful dilution of the Black vote in Alabama’s congressional redistricting regime. To that end, each proposed map shall “include either an additional majority-Black congressional district, or an additional district in which Black voters otherwise have an opportunity to elect a representative of their choice.”

The court said the new plan should also comply with the United States Constitution and the Voting Rights Act as well as the “One Person, One Vote” principle of the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment.

The judges also said that the special master is allowed to consider the plans that were submitted by the Milligan and Caster plaintiffs as well as the Singleton plaintiffs.

“We agree with the U.S. District Court that the Alabama Legislature’s proposed 2023 map ‘plainly fails’ to follow the law and the very clear court orders on how to address Alabama’s violation of the Voting Rights Act,” said Jess Unger, senior staff attorney for voting rights at the Southern Poverty Law Center. “In doing so, the Alabama Legislature has acted brazenly and wasted Alabamians’ time in the ensuing months since the June Supreme Court decision. All Alabama voters deserve better, and we are hopeful that the forthcoming map by the court-appointed Special Master will permit ‘Black Alabamians, like everyone else, a fair and reasonable opportunity to elect candidates of their choice,’ as the court required.”

It is also important to note that the cost of the special master is to be paid for by the state of Alabama, thus costing Alabamians more money.

The decision from the court gives hope to organizers who have been on the ground working tirelessly to ensure that Black voters are seen and heard.

“Know that we are not excited about a victory that we have already won,” said Ronald James Jr., Alabama regional organizer of Black Voters Matter. “We are optimistic about the power that Black people will have now to elect representation that speaks to the new Congressional districts demographics. We are even more elated for the opportunity to continue building power in the Black and brown communities in this district and turnout the Black vote.”

Angela Curry, executive director of United Women of Color, agreed that organizers will continue their fight for fair maps and adequate representation.

“Alabama legislators who refuse to draw fair districts are showing us who they really are. Sixty years removed from the March on Washington D.C., where Martin Luther King Jr.’s ‘I Have a Dream’ speech was delivered, Black Alabamians are still being denied the right to vote,” Curry said. “The state’s refusal to draw two Black districts as instructed by the Supreme Court demonstrates their disrespect for the law. It shows a lack of respect and a lack of regard for Black voters. The upholding of the law by the federal courts demonstrates our votes do count; our votes matter. We will continue to show up and collectively raise our voices to protect our right to vote and for representation in this state and nation that we have given so much to build and sustain.”

Cara McClure, founder of Faith & Works, said the ruling affirms the strength of the collective movement.

“Today’s federal court decision striking down Alabama’s second failed attempt at diluting Black voting power is a resounding victory for justice and democracy,” she said. “It reaffirms the strength of our collective determination to protect and preserve the fundamental right to vote, a right that has been hard-fought and hard-won. With the appointment of a special master to draw a new map that remedies the state’s Section 2 violation, we stand on the precipice of a brighter, more equitable future. Let this moment be a testament to the power of unity, resilience, and our unwavering commitment to building a fairer Alabama for all.”

Organizers also celebrated the collective effort it took to fight for fair and equitable maps in Alabama and how it the collective fight is not over.

“The court’s decision to strike down the state’s unfair and discriminatory congressional map for the second time underscores the urgency and necessity for organizers, advocates, and community members to continue to demand fair and equitable representation,” said Anneshia Hardy, executive director of Alabama Values. “While we share in the collective relief and hope that springs from this ruling, our focus remains on the journey ahead. The fight for fair representation is far from over, and Alabama Values remains diligent in ensuring that the redrawing process is transparent, inclusive, and truly reflective of our state’s diverse population. We deeply appreciate the ongoing support and engagement from Alabamians across the state, and we will continue to champion the cause for fair maps. This isn’t just about lines on a map; it’s about the rights, voices, and futures of Alabamians.

A hearing on the map plans that will be created by the special master has been set for Oct. 3, 2023 at the Hugo L. Black United States Courthouse in Birmingham.

Birmingham, AL – Three Alabama organizations are coming together for a year-round narrative campaign that will educate, engage, and mobilize communities and policymakers around the fight for justice reform. Alabama Values is partnering with The Beacon Center and Alabama Justice Initiative to bring together state-based organizations that have spent years working through various avenues to create a more just justice system. The campaign kicks off on July 31st at The Summit AMC theater in Birmingham with a 6pm screening of the A24 film, Sing Sing. The event is free, open to the public, and will include a community discussion after the film. Reservations can be made here.

Sing Sing is based on the real-life theater program of the Sing Sing Correctional Facility in New York. The film features an all-star cast including Academy Award Nominee Colman Domingo alongside formerly incarcerated individuals that participated in the actual Sing Sing theater program. The stunning look into an often hidden world shows the power of the arts in rehabilitation, and the film has received critical acclaim for doing so. The screening is made possible by a partnership between Alabama Values, A24, and The Just Trust.

“Creating fairer, more humane systems of justice and safety in this country requires a lot more than just policy change. It requires us to see people as people, even those who’ve made mistakes. That’s where storytelling — and beautiful films like Sing Sing — come in,” shares Jenna LeDoux of The Just Trust on the importance of the screening, “We hope that people will see beyond traditional labels, and challenge their assumptions about people behind bars. Sing Sing shows us that cultivating joy, play, and deep relationships is key to healing and rehabilitation — we need more of this in our justice system, not less.”

While criminal justice reform is a conversation that needs to happen on a national level, Alabama’s rank at the top in terms of fatalities and overcrowding makes it an even more crucial location for a new approach to rehabilitation and incarceration. “At Alabama Values, our mission is to amplify the voices of underrepresented and underserved communities in the fight for systemic change,” shares Alabama Values Executive Director Anneshia Hardy, “The Justice in Focus initiative is a call to action for Alabamians to learn more and get involved with justice reform in Alabama. I hope attendees leave the private screening informed and inspired.”

While most Americans recognize there are flaws in the current justice system, there is still a disconnect in the calling for true change. Justice in Focus uses three different objectives to encourage Alabamians to reimagine the state’s public safety and justice system. These objectives are:

1. Raise awareness about the disparities and unfair practices in Alabama’s justice system.

2. Engage the community through cultural events, visual storytelling, and strategic messaging.

3. Advocate for policy change at local and state levels.

The methods for achieving these goals fuse narrative storytelling with policy advocacy, including cultural events like the ‘Sing Sing’ screening, visual storytelling, artivism, messaging research, petitions, accountability websites for state legislatures, public forums, and communication support for justice reform coalitions in Alabama.

“Justice in Focus is important to get the narrative out to people as a whole,” shares Alabama Justice Initiative Deputy Director Veronica Johnson, “This is a great opportunity to present the narrative of Alabama Justice Initiative to people who may normally not have the chance to focus on what we are doing.”

“Our shared commitment to supporting our neighbors and fostering a just, inclusive community drives this collaboration,” shares Pastor Richard Williams, “At The Beacon Center, we believe in the transformative power of unity and advocacy, and the Justice in Focus initiative will make a impact. Together, we will work tirelessly to create lasting change and uplift those we serve.”

For more information on Justice in Focus kickoff and to RSVP, visit www.alvalues.org/event/singsing and follow Alabama Values on social media.

Alabama Values is a grassroots communications organization working to raise awareness and increase engagement around community issues in Alabama. They work directly with grassroots civic organizations advocating to build power and break down barriers to civic participation for communities across the state.

Founded in 2021, The Just Trust is a leading supporter of justice reform and public safety innovation in the United States. It works to power state and national advocacy efforts, media work, and narrative change campaigns across the country and across political divides to transform the criminal justice system in America into a smarter, more humane engine of justice and safety that makes our communities stronger. Learn more at TheJustTrust.org

Alabama Justice Initiative’s vision is to build power through policy, advocacy, civic engagement, and organizing those impacted by the criminal legal system.

The Beacon Center exists to remove barriers from our neighbors so that they can have a better life.

There aren’t many things that you can get the majority of Alabamians to agree on with ease. Favorite football team? Prepare for a heated conversation. Politics? That’s no walk in the park of guaranteed agreement either. Surprisingly, one thing that has brought together people from every walk of life in Alabama is the urgent need to fix the state’s failing parole system.

This fact became more clear than ever in 2023, when the state’s parole grant rate was a historic low 8%. This led to a large increase in public pushback on how the Alabama Board of Pardons and Paroles determines who is eligible for approval, and why so many are being denied—even as the state is facing a lawsuit from the Department of Justice for overcrowded prisons. Alabama Values and Alabama Justice Initiative recently hosted a panel as part of the Justice in Focus initiative that reimagines public safety in Alabama. The panel featured some of the many people that are impacted by or play a role in improving the state’s parole system.

The discussion was led by Alabama Justice Initiative’s Deputy Director, Veronica Johnson, and featured ACLU of Alabama Legal Director Alison Mollman, SPLC Senior Policy Associate Katie Glenn, Alabama CURE Board Member Pat Vandermeer, and John Woods, a man that experienced the Alabama parole system. The full briefing can be found here.

The evening’s moderator, Veronica, started the discussion off with an overview of what attendees could expect before asking John Woods the first question. Woods spoke on the personal devastation he felt after being denied the first time he was up for parole. “It bothered me a lot mentally. I was destroyed for about a year or so because I had expectations that I was told from the beginning. ‘You do this many amount of years and if you do right, you’ll be released.’ That’s what was told to me 10 years before I came up (for parole) one time. After that, I started losing confidence and faith,” John shared in a moment that impacted many listeners who had family members inside of Alabama prisons. He went on to share how board workers’ false promises of him getting out at future dates negatively impacted his parents’ health.

The discussion then focused on changes that the parole board faced in 2019. Katie Glenn shared a few negatively impactful moments including a reactionary law that essentially locked down parole in Alabama and long-time famously “tough on crime” Alabama politician Charlie Graddick being appointed as Director of the Alabama Bureau of Pardons and Paroles—which led to no parole hearings for months. Alison Mollman laid out the consequences of these legislative and executive decisions clearly, saying “People are dying in Alabama’s prisons and their work release facilities because they are being denied parole.”

Pat Vandermeer shared her perspective of being in Alabama prisons 3 days a week and witnessing the people inside’s response to the parole rate dropping to near-zero. “What I was seeing and hearing from the men was hopelessness. ‘Why do I need a GED? It’s not going to help me’,” she recalled hearing, “What we saw was more drugs and more violence in the facilities. We’ve got to change this because there’s a lot of men and women who’ve transformed their lives and need to be back in the community.”

Key resources were referenced throughout, including a mention of The People’s Parole Reform Coalition which many of the speakers are a member of. Katie informed listeners of their right to comment on the state’s parole system and ensure that the Board makes adjustments every 3 years. Alison responded to an audience question on how people can document injustices faced inside prison by offering that people reach out to an organization such as ACLU of Alabama to help gather these reports and send them to the Department of Justice.

Some common sense legislative options were also mentioned. One proposed bill includes parole board accountability (proposed by Rep. Chris England), which would require the board to follow the guidelines that are in place for approval. Another proposed bill would give those up for parole the ability to virtually be present in their hearing. Alabama is one of only two states that doesn’t currently allow attendance during a hearing, which removes the human element from the process. Pat Vandermeer mentioned that another bill focused on parole for the elderly and sick. She put it plainly by stating that “our prisons are becoming nursing homes” and her experience of celebrating a 104th birthday inside of a prison.

The Locked In panel told us many things we already know about Alabama’s parole system. The most important: it is failing the people it is supposed to help. But the briefing also gave us further insights into why these problems are caused, how they can be fixed, and a look at some of the organizations working hard to make a better parole system in Alabama a reality.

This article was originally written by Ralph Chapoco for Alabama Reflector

John Woods was told that if he reformed himself, he would get an opportunity for parole and the chance to move on with his life.

With that understanding, Woods, who served 18 years of a life sentence for a reckless murder charge but did not fire the weapon involved, worked to meet the parole requirements.

It was a decade of work before he became parole eligible. He entered into programs to learn a trade and further his education while waiting for his turn before the Board. He was denied. Five years later, Woods was denied again, and required to wait for four years.

“After the first time getting denied, it bothered me,” Woods said. “I was destroyed for a year because I had this expectation. I had been told from the beginning that if you do these many years, and if you do them right, then you would be released.”

Finally, after getting denied twice, he was granted parole in 2020.

“It started to take a toll on my mother and on my father,” Woods said. “After the first time they said, ‘Well, we will let it go.’ The next time after five years after getting denied, then I came back up, I was denied again and turned down. You come up again, fear and doubt set in, and it goes through your mind.”

Woods was part of a panel of speakers Monday hosted by Alabama Values, a civil rights organization.

The Alabama Board of Pardons and Paroles has gotten national scrutiny as parole rates have fallen in Alabama. According to a 2023 policy brief from the Prison Policy Initiative, Alabama’s parole grant rate fell 67% between 2019 and 2022, the largest drop in the nation. In South Carolina, the grant rate declined by 63%. Maryland’s parole grants dropped 54%, and Oklahoma’s fell 45%.

That decline paralleled a national parole rate decline between 2019 and 2022. The brief stated that of the 29 states from which the organization collected parole rates in 2022, 23 saw parole grants decline.

Alabama’s 10% parole grant rate in 2022 was the lowest in the policy brief. According to the annual report from the Alabama Bureau of Pardons and Paroles, the rate for granting parole for fiscal year 2023 was slightly more than 8%. South Carolina’s was 7% based on the policy brief from the Prison Policy Initiative.

The Alabama Legislature changed the parole system in 2019 after Jimmy O’Neal Spencer, misclassified by the Alabama Department of Corrections as a nonviolent offender, was paroled in 2017. While on parole in 2018, Spencer murdered three people, including a 7-year-old, in the course of a series of robberies.

“The Alabama Legislature locked down parole for everyone in Alabama,” said Katie Glenn, senior policy associate for the Southern Poverty Law Center who served on the panel.

Despite a recent increase in parole grants, the numbers remain below 2017, when roughly half of applicants had been granted parole.

Members of the Alabama Board of Pardons and Paroles are supposed to base their decisions on established guidelines meant to gauge whether a person has been rehabilitated. Some of the elements include disciplinary violations, particular violent ones, and programs that a person completed, including education and workforce development training.

The different components are then graded and are compiled to provide a score that then offers a recommendation whether a person should be granted parole.

However, the board is not required to adhere to the guidelines. Legislation introduced by Rep. Chris England, D-Tuscaloosa, that would require board members to justify parole denials that deviate from the guidelines has not advanced.

“The guidelines that the parole board uses, if they actually followed them, something like 70% of the people who are up for parole would be paroled,” Glenn said.

Advocates said that efforts to keep parole rates low can have dramatic consequences for those who are incarcerated, dampening their motivations to behave properly while in prison and working to get rehabilitated.

“Literally people are dying in Alabama’s prisons and at their work release facilities because they are getting denied parole,” said Alison Mollman, interim legal director for the ACLU of Alabama. “Every week, we hear about a tragedy. We hear about people on work release getting struck by a car and getting killed while doing road service. We hear about homicides at level four prisons.”

Legislators passed a bill increasing staff within DOC specifically to provide services to constituents to call into prison facilities to inquire about those incarcerated.

And more lawmakers attended Joint Prison Oversight Committee meetings than as recently as 2022 when people spoke at hearings on behalf of their loved ones.

“Since then, I have been in conversations with legislators, I have heard that we are in a moment where something might happen, where something might change, where people who previously had disagreed with us might be interested in having a conversation,” Glenn said.