Dr. Barber discusses how Scalia's death will impact Voting Rights.

[wildeyed]

Dr. Barber (leader of NC Moral Monday movement) talks with Joy Reid about redistricting cases that are pending before the court right now.

Here is my quick recap of the conversation:

There are two types of cases pending. In Texas there is cases brought by Republicans to redraw districts based on eligible voters, not total population. This shifts power from urban areas to rural in states with large immigrant populations. There is another in AZ.

In my home state, NC, a ruling that said the GOP illegally used illegal racial quotas to draw new districts is being challenged at the SC level. (Total shit show already, because the NC General Assembly has until Friday to re-draw, but early voting has actually begun is some places )

The segment then segues into voter ID laws and how they are a direct result of the repeal of section 4 of Voting Rights, about how Justice Roberts made his bones in the Reagan administration fight against Voting Rights, and how he would really like to repeal the entire thing.

Reverend Barber then makes a very strong case for why BOTH presidential candidates need to address Voting Rights and ask why it has not come up, not even ONCE in the Democratic debates.

At about 3:10, Rev Sharpton adds some background about the history of the court on this issue and how Scalia's death will influence the pending cases.

Barber starts speaking in earnest at about 5:40. Points out that voting rights in NC are at a lower ebb than they were in 1965.

Says candidates are asking for the votes, but they are not protecting the RIGHTS of the voters. (Kinda silly, right? Partisans are fighting tooth and nail over the votes of the AA community, which candidate wills serve their needs, but no one talks about protecting the citizens ACTUAL ability to vote )

"At a time when the black and latino voters, combined with progressive whites, have a real potential to break open the solid south, we have less voter protection than we have had since 1965 and more attacks on the right to vote since the 19th century" (paraphrasing here)

There is some very interesting discussion with a number of expert panelists about Voting Rights and the Supreme Court.

Rev Barber makes a very strong case for why BOTH presidential candidates need to address Voting Rights and asks, again, why it has not come up, not even once in the Democratic debates.

The entire segment comes in at under 15 minutes. Very worthwhile. I read Rev Barber's book already. Ari Berman's is on my list now, too. He is also a very persuasive advocate for why this issue needs to be front and center NOW.

[Kind of Blue]

1. Incredible, not only the Southernization of the Republican Party

but "a Southern committe that will decide whether or not there's a nominee." This issue if either candidate would take it up is surely one that all of us democrats can agree on.

Thanks, wildeyed!