In the wake of record turnout in the 2020 general election, state legislators around the country have pushed more than 380 bills to create new voting barriers that disproportionately disenfranchise Black, Latinx, and Native American voters. Amplifying the threat is a disappointing Supreme Court decision in Brnovich v Democratic National Committee that upheld voting restrictions in Arizona and adopted a narrow view of Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act. Section 2 is one of the more effective tools available to challenge voting restrictions on the grounds of racial discrimination and a tool the ACLU continues to use in the fight to eliminate racially repressive laws.

Access to the vote is critical to retaining our civil liberties. Even though these bills are tearing at the fabric of our democracy, advocacy and the ACLU’s efforts to push back have been effective. As Florida, Texas, Georgia, and Montana continue to enact democracy damaging voter suppression laws more advocacy work is needed.

WHAT YOU CAN DO

1. Get involved with the Unitarian Universalist for Social Justice’s (UUSJ) efforts to pass the “For the People Act”, the “John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act” and the “Washington D.C. Admission Act” by visiting.

2. Support the ACLU and urge your legislators to pass the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act (VRAA) to curb state voter suppression efforts. Visit ACLU Action to learn more.

Cleary this is something we at UUCT can do in covenant to affirm and promote the 8th Principle: journeying toward spiritual wholeness by working to build a diverse multicultural Beloved Community by our actions that accountably dismantle racism and other oppressions in ourselves and our institutions.