8 GROUNDCOVER NEWS VOTING RIGHTS MIKE JONES Groundcover vendor No. 113 In the process of creating social change, fundamental ideas are implemented through the arts, through journalism, through organizing and mobilizing efforts with vigorous action to achieve a great purpose. But, in The United States of America, one good way to solidify progress is to enter a court of law to present and plead one’s case to make social change a reality. Civil rights law consists of federal and state statutes, amendments to the Constitution and regulations designed to protect individuals from discrimination and guarantee equal treatment in areas like employment, housing, education and public accommodations. It enforces protections against discrimination based on characteristics such as race, color, sex, religion, national origin and disability. Regarded as the legislative crown jewel of the civil rights era, the Voting Rights Act of 1965 was enacted as a comprehensive tool meant to undo the political hold of Jim Crow policies in the South and related discriminatory structures nationwide. Congress adopted the law to ensure that states followed the 15th Amendment’s guarantee that the right to vote not be denied because of race. The law fundamentally opened political opportunities for Black and brown communities to participate in all aspects of the political system on an equal basis. Gerrymandering is the deliberate manipulation of electoral district boundaries to give one political party, incumbent, or group an unfair advantage. By using techniques like "packing" (concentrating opposition voters) and "cracking" (diluting them), map-drawers reduce competition, ensure predictable election outcomes, and distort representative democracy. Racial gerrymandering is illegal. The Voting Rights Act mandates that when a minority group is sufficiently large, geographically concentrated, and politically cohesive, a district must be MAY 15, 2026 Civil rights law and weakening the Voting Rights Act Gerrymandering uses the tactics of "packing" or "cracking" to give one political party an unfair advantage. Image from MIT Election Lab drawn to allow them to elect candidates of their choice. April 29, 2026, the Supreme Court of the United States struck down a voting map in Louisiana, and with it dealt a blow to the landmark civil rights law. The decision opened the door for other states to redraw their congressional maps in ways that could affect elections for years to come. The Supreme Court decision in Louisiana v. Callais significantly weakened Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act by shifting the standard from proving discriminatory effect to proving intentional discrimination, which is difficult to do. This makes it harder for voters to challenge racially gerrymandered maps. The ruling, as described by the American Civil Liberties Union, enables states to adopt maps that dilute the voting power of Black and minority communities. I talked with a fellow Groundcover see VRA next page Poor People’s Campaign brings new life to MLK Jr.’s vision LAURIE WECHTER Former Groundcover Human Services Director In 2017, National religious leaders, Rev. Dr. William J. Barber II and the Rev. Dr. Liz Theoharis declared a National Call for Moral Revival of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.’s Poor People’s Campaign. King’s movement was cut short by his murder 50 years ago. However, a 1968 initiative that King had planned to conduct was carried out this summer from May 14 to June 28. Thirty-five states participated in the 40 days of protests and direct actions. Fifty years after King’s death, 140 million Americans are poor or low-income and 43 million people are living below the poverty line, living with ecological devastation, systemic racism and an economy harnessed to seemingly endless war. The Poor People’s Campaign now beckons our nation to take the higher ground. It calls upon our society to see the predicaments of the most vulnerable among us and seeks to halt the destruction of America’s moral vision. The Campaign works to continue Dr. King’s legacy of gathering citizens across the nation to take a stand on major issues affecting all Americans, but particularly poor people and people of color. During the National 40 Days of Moral Action, hundreds of church and union members and concerned citizens marched singing songs, carrying signs and demanding a massive overhaul of the nation’s voting rights laws, the implementation of new programs to lift up Americans living in poverty, increased attention to ecological devastation, and renewed measures to curb militarism and the war economy. Among the protesters, 85 people — many of them leaders from temples, churches, synagogues and mosques — were arrested for trespassing. This amounted to blocking doors and parking lots of government buildings in Lansing, and stopping the Q-Line tram in Detroit. These acts have garnered media attention and have shown our neighbors that it is possible to have a voice in the public arena. The Poor People’s Campaign hopes to increase its ranks over time, just as the leaders of the Civil Rights movement did 50 years ago. At present, Campaign members are canvassing citizens to get out and vote — and to vote “Yes” on nonpartisan Proposal 2 in the November 6 midterm elections. Proposal 2 will stop the unfair practice of drawing voting district lines that empower one party and deny representation to a substantial number of poor and non-white voters (aka gerrymandering). Proposal 2 will establish a Citizens Redistricting Commission made up of four Democrats, four Republicans and five unaffiliated voters to redraw these lines and allow Michigan voters to be truly represented. Please join the effort to create a more just Michigan and America for all! To get involved, go to: www.poorpeoplescampaign.org or www.VotersNotPoliticians.com. Originally published in the September 2018 edition of Groundcover
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