Welcome to DU! The truly grassroots left-of-center political community where regular people, not algorithms, drive the discussions and set the standards. Join the community: Create a free account Support DU (and get rid of ads!): Become a Star Member All Forums Issue Forums Culture Forums Alliance Forums Region Forums Support Forums Help & Search

xchrom

(108,903 posts)
Wed Jun 25, 2014, 01:31 PM Jun 2014

Why the Voting Rights Act and Freedom Summer matter in the climate justice struggle

http://grist.org/politics/why-the-voting-rights-act-and-freedom-summer-matter-in-the-climate-justice-struggle/

Today marks one year since the U.S. Supreme Court effectively gutted the historic Voting Rights Act of one of its signature civil rights protections. The reverb from the Shelby County v. Holder decision was felt so widely that it brought environmentalists, labor groups, and LGBTQ advocates together under a pledge to help civil rights groups on the voting rights front. And it activated the Democracy Initiative, a progressive coalition formed by the Sierra Club, Greenpeace, and the NAACP to fight for elections reform.

What does the Voting Rights Act have to do with climate and environment? Well, the main way for us to ensure that our governments protect us against environmental and climate catastrophe is to vote people into office who have our best environmental interests in mind. This is true from local government, where officials decide on land-use codes and waste-disposal practices, on up to the federal government, where national climate policies are made. The environmental movement needs as many voters as possible to hold governments and companies accountable for taming their pollution. It can’t do that if voters of color are vulnerable to discrimination.

The Voting Rights Act required states and other government units with long histories of discrimination to “preclear” any election administration changes with the federal government before implementing them, to ensure that they didn’t return to discriminatory practices. The Shelby v. Holder decision invalidated the formula used by the federal government to determine which political jurisdictions (states, county, districts) needed that preclearance.

Most of the areas that had been covered by preclearance were in former Confederate states, running from Texas all the way up to Virginia. But they also included Alaska, Arizona, and small parts of California and New York City. These are areas with huge populations of people of color and people who speak English as their second language.

Many of these areas also happen to have a heavy concentration of extractive fossil-fuel industries.

?w=470&h=329
3 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
Highlight: NoneDon't highlight anything 5 newestHighlight 5 most recent replies
Why the Voting Rights Act and Freedom Summer matter in the climate justice struggle (Original Post) xchrom Jun 2014 OP
Kicked and recommended. Uncle Joe Jun 2014 #1
... xchrom Jun 2014 #2
Voting Rights Flashmob Protest peace108 Jun 2014 #3

peace108

(3 posts)
3. Voting Rights Flashmob Protest
Sat Jun 28, 2014, 01:00 PM
Jun 2014

Thank you for the post xchrom.

In this spirit, I wanted to bring your attention to a voting rights protest that happened recently. In honor of a preacher who was slain while marching for voting rights, All Souls in DC organized a massive flashmob protest on the Supreme Court steps. Here's the video:



We believe it can bring a lot of attention to a very personal cause. If you agree, please share and send to friends. This is a very important time for voting rights, as you know!!
Latest Discussions»General Discussion»Why the Voting Rights Act...