Originally called Decoration Day, Black Americans interred the bodies of fallen Union soldiers to honor their sacrifice — now known as Memorial Day. Decades later, my great-grandfather served our nation in WWI. Then my grandfather took post in WWII and the Korean War. Today and every day, I honor their sacrifice by fighting for rights they were denied in a country they loved, knowing freedom will prevail if we refuse to give up the battle.
Rep. @brotherjones_ in Montgomery: “We’re here united to take on this new confederacy, 60 years after the Selma March… because we know their intent is to dismantle everything gained during the civil rights movement.”
There's a major civil rights protest taking place in Selma, Alabama, right now in response to the SCOTUS decision that weakened the Voting Rights Act and the ongoing attack on Black Americans’ political power
(video: defiancedispatch/IG)
It’s clear: the South has something to say, you can rig a map but you can’t rig a movement 📢
A few scenes from All Roads Lead to the South in Montgomery, Alabama.
I told the Supreme Court what would happen if it ruled against Louisiana’s fair map. And I was right. The results have been catastrophic. But the sílver lining is a sleeping giant has been awakened.
Our democracy majority is coming together. #ARLS
https://t.co/LbEgsVxprw
@AmarionWx@jasonesteves@JenJordanGA@MiracleRankinGA Hello, we’re so happy that you were able to cast your ballot! If you don’t mind, please share your voting story so that we can work towards ensuring that you/ other voters have a better experience in the future: https://t.co/eFEysQQlr5
🚨Senate Minority Leader Harold Jones II released the following statement today on Governor’s Kemp’s call for special session:
"If Republicans ever used their power to help Georgians, they wouldn't have to waste time and money redrawing the maps every few years to keep their majorities.
"June will be our third redistricting since 2021. Republicans need to undo their last gerrymander because it wasn't good enough to keep their waffling political party in power. Most parties would try out some new ideas. Republicans choose to strip political power from Black people and undo the progress the South made in the last 60 years.
"Let's sum it up for everybody. The biggest bloc of middle and working class voters are Black people. When Republicans strip Black people's political power away, it doesn't just strip one community of power. It strips political power from every single middle and working class person and hands it over to billionaires and big corporations. That's what redistricting means for you."
NEW: Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp just called a special session for June 17 to redraw BOTH congressional and state legislative maps.
He's the first Southern governor pushing to rig both maps after Trump's call.
When Black and brown Georgians build power, Kemp changes the rules. ⬇️
1 of the 3 congressional districts Tennessee Republicans split Memphis into stretches to Giles County – the birthplace of the KKK.
Memphis is America’s largest Black-majority city. Split three ways, Black folks are a minority in every district.
No representation – by design.
Georgia's gov signs a comically transparent law.
It makes local elections in 5 big blue counties nonpartisan, for GOP candidates to have chance to win without a party label.
It doesn't change anything elsewhere, for red county-voters to know who's R. https://t.co/uNGzeb3ZBy
After SCOTUS gutted the VRA, southern politicians rushed to answer Trump's call to rig voting maps.
Now Kemp is going further – rigging Georgia's state legislative map and congressional map.
An aggressive new escalation in the GOP's push to silence Black and brown Americans.
I am deeply disturbed to hear about the bomb threat against Secretary Raffensperger and I am relieved that he was not harmed.
Political violence has no place in America. We must condemn it unequivocally.
Wait till @Maddow finds out: one of the three Memphis districts Tennessee Republicans reaches all the way to Giles County.
They connected America's largest Black majority city with the literal birthplace of the KKK.
You cannot make this up.