Community Voices Reflect on the 2022 Civil Rights Agenda: The Intersectionality of Civil Rights and Democracy
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State Rep. Shelia Stubbs, Wisconsin Assembly District 77
The Intersectionality of Civil Rights and Democracy
In 1961 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr gave us all a vision of what a truly meaningful democracy looks like: “I look forward confidently to the day when all who work for a living will be one, with no thought of their separateness as Negroes, Jews, Italians, or any other distinctions. This will be the day when we shall bring into full realization the dream of American democracy, a dream yet unfulfilled.” This bright vision of democracy emphasizes the need for everyone, regardless of race, gender, or social class to be empowered. It shows that, without full equity and unity, our dream of American democracy is not yet realized. Ultimately it means that civil rights and democracy are deeply intertwined. We cannot achieve one, without the other.
While we have made strides in civil rights since the time of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr, it is clear that our work is still not done.
In the United States today, racial minorities and people without economic privilege have a much harder time participating in our democracy. There are barriers and burdens that actively disenfranchise our communities, and keep our voices from being heard. For example, voter ID requirements, lack of language access, polling place closures and consolidations, reduced early voting, and reduced voting hours hinder the voting process. Voting is the lifeblood of our democracy, and policies must be implemented to empower the participation of everyone eligible in our community. To fulfill the dream of democracy, Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. envisions “a dream of equality of opportunity, of privilege and property widely distributed; a dream of a land where men will not take necessities from the many to give luxuries to the few.”
Democracy is not for one part of society, it is for all parts of society. Civil rights are a key part of creating a government that represents all people in our community. During the 1960s, leaders such as Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Congressman John Lewis, Vel Phillips, and Roy Wilkins fought for the civil rights of Black Americans because they knew that no true democracy can exclude our voices. Their activism and leadership were essential to securing the Voting Rights Act of 1965 and the Civil Rights Act of 1968. These groundbreaking efforts opened the door for countless Americans to become integral to our democracy. While the efforts of the 1960’s were successful, that does not mean that the fight for civil rights has stopped.
In 2022, the continuing struggle for civil rights and the struggle to protect our democracy are unquestionably intersectional. Today, communities of color in Wisconsin continue to face some of the worst disparities in the country. The Black poverty rate in our state is 28.7 percent, which is more than double the average poverty rate. In addition, Black and Native Wisconsinites have some of the highest rates of heart disease and diabetes. These disparities are unacceptable, and they impact every aspect of our lives. Our efforts to correct these injustices have been stalled by partisan gerrymandering and reduced access to the ballot box. We cannot have a democracy that only represents the privileged few, and leaves the rest of us behind. Correcting the injustices of our past requires action in the present.
As a civil servant, I know that democracy and civil rights are two sides of the same coin. I keep this philosophy with me in every action I take, and in every vote I cast. Systemic injustices are interconnected throughout our society, and it is vital that we attack it on all fronts. I am blessed to continue serving in this capacity and to make Wisconsin a better place for everyone.
Lessons from Africa
Can we fully have civil rights without a fully democratic society? Or a democratic society without full civil rights? They are not only inseparable but are “two wings of the same bird.”
It is neither an accident nor a coincidence that we see the degradation of our democracy at the same time as our civil rights — particularly our voting rights — come under attack. These attacks on our rights are more subtle than the loss of the right to eat in a restaurant or fair employment. These newly constructed barriers began with requiring photo IDs and now have extended to restrictions on absentee voting that will affect people with disabilities or are in nursing homes.
The barriers to voting are part of the broader effort to not only question the fairness of elections but also to declare without supporting evidence that elections in which Democrats win are illegitimate. Promotion of this lie undermines the foundation of our and all democracies.
At the same time, what has been called “hyper-partisanship” has grown. This is where everything we do has a partisan meaning to it. Democrats wear masks, Republicans don’t. Republicans are against abortion and Democrats are pro-choice.
In the country of my birth, The Gambia and throughout most of Africa, we have a long tradition of this “hyper-partisanship.” But we call it “tribalism.” Political parties are often mere covers for a particular tribe or region. The outcome of elections is always in doubt and more often than not, rejected as fraudulent by the losing party.
State Rep. Samba Baldeh, 48th Assembly District
Once in power, the winner takes care only of his voters, that is, members of his tribe and ignores the needs of the other tribes. This only deepens the sense of loyalty to one’s own tribe and animosity towards the other.
(At the onset of the pandemic, Trump attempted to shift masks and other protective equipment away from the Northeast where the outbreak was greatest because he said, “they’re not my voters.”)
As the sense of tribalism increases, violence over everything from petty grievances to stolen elections increases as well. The sense that your neighbor next door or in the next town is an enemy who’s enjoying riches which rightfully belong to your tribe is common throughout the world. In Africa, these inter-tribal rivalries were put to good use by our colonial powers that dominated most or some of the continent for close to 400 years.
Africa was divided by colonial powers into colonial territories and then “nations” without regard to the loyalties of the people who lived there. Later, when the territories won their independence from the colonial powers, developing a nation that could “stick together” became a challenge that they have not been able to overcome.
American “tribalism” — just like its counterparts in Africa, America or Armenia —is detrimental to our attempts at maintaining our basic democratic practice. The notion that because its outline is written in legal documents has never been a sufficient guarantee for democracy. “Freedom”, said Frederick Douglas, “is a constant struggle.”
Women in Focus I Have a Dream Ball and the Legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
This year I would like to focus on highlighting an organization that has significant impact on advancing the educational excellence of students of color and the support they receive from this community, despite a pandemic crisis.
Women in Focus (WIF) is a non-profit organization that envisions a world in which dreams are fulfilled through a worldwide partnership where all barriers to education are erased for students of color. We are composed of passionate women who are committed to the promotion of educational excellence and healthy development of children of color.
As we celebrate Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., I can’t help but reflect on the past couple of years and think about the resiliency and hope that I have witnessed in our community. The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted all of us and our nation on many different levels. We have all been tested. It has also highlighted the inequities in education, healthcare, justice system, housing and employment.
Although, we have known of these inequities for years, it took a pandemic to force us to face the reality of the racial inequities pandemic in our city. But this time we did something about it. While we faced the challenges of the two pandemics, I can’t help but think about the persistence and resiliency of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and how he viewed what it takes for change to happen.
Gloria Reyes, Executive Director, Briarpatch Youth Services, Inc.
“Change does not roll in on wheels of inevitability, but comes through continuous struggle.” — Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
I believe that today’s continuous struggle came in the form of a pandemic crisis that impacted everyone while highlighting the continuous struggle of Black people in our community.
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. would be proud of our progress and how far we have come as a nation, but today he would also be proud of our resiliency fighting through the struggles, pressing forward even harder demanding for change to continue to improve the lives of Black people.
I am proud to be a part of a community that has elected leaders, non-profit organizations, a business community, health care providers, public health and mental health practitioners, teachers and school district administrators who have invested in Black excellence, Black leadership and organizations who serve our most vulnerable.
One of those opportunities of support comes every year through the Women in Focus I Have a Dream Ball. It is a time to celebrate Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and also an opportunity to provide scholarships to students of color.
This is the event of the year — and often times the first event of the year — bringing together a community who invests in the educational achievements of our students of color. In 2021, we had to transition the event to a virtual event due to the pandemic. But despite the pandemic, our community showed up and invested in our children.
This year, we are celebrating 36 years of scholarships awarded to 355 students since 1986. This has been possible due to the dedication and commitment of a diverse group of women who understand that education is the equalizer for our young people. Last year, despite the pandemic we received overwhelming support from our community partners, allowing us the ability to continue to invest in students’ educational success.
As we continued through the struggles of the pandemic, our community’s commitment to education did not waiver. It is in the times of struggle and crisis when we find true humanity. As Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. said, we didn’t sit back and wait for the inevitable, we struggled through it together for the future of our great city.
Greg Jones, President, NAACP Dane County Chapter
The Intersectionality of Civil Rights and Democracy
Because racial discrimination is prevalent in the United States, organizations such as the NAACP, demands legislative change that is inherent in certain constitutional amendments. Section 1 of the Fourteenth Amendment guarantees the right to citizenship, i.e., “All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside.” This amendment further states “No State shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States.”
Of the accepted principles of Democracy, I will discuss how four of them intersect with Civil Rights:
In a Democracy, no one is above the law, not even a king or an elected President. The Rule of Law states everyone must obey the law and be held accountable if they violate it. The desegregation of public schools was significant because the court recognized the opportunity to quality education is “a right which must be made available to all on equal terms” (Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka, 1954). This decision established the precedent that “separate-but-equal” education and other services were not, in fact, equal at all — they are inherently unequal and therefore unconstitutional. This decision was used to overturn laws enforcing segregation in other public facilities. It encouraged African Americans to protest against other forms of racial discrimination.
Citizen Participation is basic in a fully functioning Democracy. Participation is not only our right, but it is our duty and can include attending community or civic meetings, being members of private voluntary organizations, paying taxes, and even protesting. Participation builds a better democracy. The March on Washington was a Civil Rights demonstration led by Dr. Martin Luther King and other Civil Rights leaders staged in Washington D.C. on Wednesday August 28, 1963. The protest was held to commemorate the 100-year anniversary of the Emancipation Proclamation in 1863. 250,000 people gathered in front of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington. This level of citizen participation is credited for helping to bring about two major pieces of Civil Rights legislation, namely the Civil Right Act of 1964 which outlawed discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, and national origin. Unequal application of voter registration requirements, racial segregation, and employment discrimination were also prohibited. The March is also credited with the passage of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 which prohibited racial discrimination in voting. The Civil Rights Movement demonstrated principles of democracy because it focused on achieving voting rights for African Americans since the poll taxes and literacy tests disenfranchised many, particularly in the south.
Elections are Regular, Free and Fair for citizens to express their will by electing officials to represent them in government. Free and fair elections allow people living in a representative democracy to determine the political makeup and future policy direction of their government. On June 25, 2013, the U.S Supreme Court immobilized the preclearance requirement, which prohibited certain jurisdictions from implementing any change affecting voting without receiving preapproval from the U.S. attorney general or the U.S. District Court for D.C. that the change does not discriminate against protected minorities. Chief Justice John Roberts said “Our country has changed. It has wiped away so much of its racist past that the extraordinary measures employed by a key provision of the Voting Rights Act could no longer be justified. “Within 24 hours of the ruling, Texas announced that it would implement a strict photo ID law. Two other states, Mississippi and Alabama, also began to enforce photo ID laws that had previously been barred because of federal preclearance. Other states eliminated certain forms of voter registration.
When a candidate Refuses To Accept The Results of a lost election, they are in opposition to democratic principles. The consequences of not accepting the result of an election may be a government that is ineffective and cannot make decisions. It may even result in violence which is also against democracy. Following the 2020 presidential election, there was an aggressive effort to overturn the election using conspiracy theories that the election was stolen by rigged voting machines; electoral fraud; and an international communist conspiracy. These allegations based on the “Big Lie” have been dismissed as completely baseless by election officials, governors, government agencies and numerous state and federal judges, some appointed by Trump.
In January 2021, a mob of Donald Trump's supporters assaulted the U.S. Capitol to stop the congressional counting of the electoral votes. Five people died in the riot including one police officer and dozens were injured. Federal prosecutors have charged more than 700 people in more than 45 states with participating in the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol, and arrests continue daily — this is Domestic Terrorism in its most hateful form.
This principle is most problematic in the intersection of Democracy and Civil Rights because it demonstrates the violence that can occur when an organized and sustained campaign rooted in white supremacy is unleashed.
Call to Action
To further advance Civil Rights in American Democracy, it is imperative that we:
- Engage in the Redistricting process at all levels. We must impact how districts change so we can determine who represents us. Redistricting affects the U.S. Senate, House of Representatives, most of our state legislators, and many of our local legislators in towns and counties.
- Increase and sustain political engagement. Political participation is one of the best ways for ordinary people to make a substantial change to their community. Be prepared for long-term engagement instead of short-term, immediate commitment.
- Mobilize our communities to vote. Five years after Barack Obama, the first African American to be elected President, the U.S. Supreme Court dismantled the Voting Rights Act. This is not a coincidence but a planned action to minimize the impact of our vote. Efforts must intensify to increase voter turnout: more calls and text messages to potential voters; more pieces of mail and emails; More use of Facebook and YouTube; and more use of television and radio ads.
