The Naked Truth/Jamala Rogers
The Citizenship Rights of African Americans are Disappearing
In Shelby v. Holder in 2013 and Louisiana v. Callais in 2026, the U.S. Supreme Court took two machete swipes at the Voting Rights Act of 1965, gutting the key elements that protect voting rights for African Americans. Black citizens wonder aloud as to why there needs to be special provisions and reauthorizations for a right that supposedly comes with U.S. citizenship.
The fatigue of constantly fighting for our rights is very real. Black people cannot even expect our own government to uphold the laws that are supposed to protect us. The anti-Black actions during the Trump administration serve as a daily reminder of this sad reality. Since arriving on these shores as a kidnapped labor force, we have struggled to find our place in civil society. Despite our righteous efforts and the challenges we face, we seem to end up in the same situation over and over again, just at different times.
Since the Voting Rights Act was signed in 1965, there has been a relentless campaign to dismantle its vital protections. Courts, legislatures, local and state governments, and white supremacist groups have all played a role in this. They have employed voter intimidation and suppression tactics to undermine the rights of individuals. The dismemberment of the VRA accelerated after Shelby v. Holder in 2013, which struck down key protections under Section 5. This section mandated that areas with histories of racial discrimination obtain federal approval before altering their voting laws. That important provision was effectively eliminated.
People of African descent will remain second-class citizens as long as a law is necessary for us to validate our humanity. Our full participation in U.S. society hinges on our recognition as citizens, a prerequisite to voting rights. The reauthorization of such laws makes our citizenship vulnerable, leaving us exposed to the loss of our voting rights with just one legislative action or court ruling. The law, along with its reauthorization, puts our citizenship in a precarious position. We find ourselves without voter protections and potentially just a legislative action or a court ruling away from losing the right to vote.
While they are a majority in the legislatures and the courts, MAGA monsters have been methodical in striking down hard-won protections for formerly enslaved people. It’s not only about voting rights. From workplace protections to healthcare access to freedom to protest, we have witnessed the systematic erosion of the rights and privileges supposedly afforded to U.S. citizens.
Alabama legislator Nathaniel Ledbetter publicly expressed his hope that the 14th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution be overturned. This amendment was ratified in 1868 during Reconstruction to grant citizenship to formerly enslaved people. It guarantees our birthright citizenship and provides equal protection under the law.
As the midterm elections approach, the MAGA monsters have intensified the looting of our treasury, expanded their abuses of power across every branch of government, and sharpened divisive tactics meant to confuse, contain, and exploit us. We must imagine — and prepare for —the worst-case scenarios between now and November. We who believe in freedom must organize strategically and effectively before the next pen or gavel wipes away another piece of our democracy.