Honoring Black Democracy Leaders
States United Democracy Center
A bipartisan organization advancing free, fair, and secure elections. Democracy needs back-up, that's where we come in.
Our democracy is strongest when every voice is heard. As Black History Month comes to a close, we lift up the leadership of Black Americans who are working every day to defend the freedom to vote and protect the will of the people.
By organizing, by educating, by pursuing justice and accountability, they continue to light the way toward a more perfect union. The leaders we highlight here have been prominent over the past year, but the words they use to describe the ongoing work of democracy are timeless.
They also remind us, this Black History Month, that for inspiration we should look not just to the past but to leaders like these, who are?making our democracy stronger?today and for tomorrow.
Some are leading through positions of public service.
Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson?was sworn in last year as the first Black woman to serve on the Supreme Court. “I commit to you,”?she said at her confirmation hearing, “that I will work productively to support and defend the Constitution and the grand experiment of American democracy that has endured over these past 246 years.”
Rep. Bennie Thompson’s steady leadership guided the work of the House January 6 Select Committee, which exposed how close our democracy came to the brink and sounded an alarm about threats that are still with us. “We’ve struggled across generations to make our country’s great vision a reality for all Americans,”?he said at a hearing. “We’ve won victories and suffered failures. But the peaceful transfer of power has stood as a pillar of our democracy.”
In Georgia,?Fani Willis, the first Black woman to serve as district attorney of Fulton County, made clear that she wouldn’t be cowed by attempts to impede her investigation into the attempted hijacking of her state’s 2020 presidential election. “I think that people thought that we came into this as some kind of game,”?she said last year. “This is not a game at all.”
As Pennsylvania’s acting secretary of the commonwealth in 2022,?Leigh M. Chapman?oversaw an election that was free, fair, secure, and accurate. In an?interview with Ms. magazine last year, she talked about dedicating her career to civil rights, racial justice, and “just making sure that every eligible American in this country can register to vote, cast their ballot, and have it counted. It’s an honor to be on the front lines fighting for democracy at a time when there’s so much at stake.”
In a?discussion last month?at Stanford University, former Secretary of State?Condoleezza Rice?expressed her concern that Americans are losing confidence in elections and other institutions. She recalled growing up in segregated Alabama, when her parents struggled for the freedom to vote. “We have had continuous improvement in American democracy,” Rice said. “But if you try to negate the progress of the past, then not only do you lose your sense of optimism, you also negate the experiences of the sacrifices of [those who got us to where we are],” she said.
Others are making the most of what’s been called the only title higher than president—that of citizen.
Annie Benifield?is the first Black woman to lead the League of Women Voters of Houston. She has spoken prominently and eloquently about the need for all of us to vote in every election—to have our say, even if our side doesn’t always win. “Voting rights is not a partisan issue,”?she told the Defender last year. “It’s critical that people get to participate in the political process in a democracy. The expectation is that citizens get to weigh in and engage. And one way they can do that is by the ballot. So this is not partisan, this is just affirmation of the democratic process.”
Her colleague?Cecile Scoon, the first Black woman to lead the League of Women Voters of Florida,?reminded voters last year?that the freedom to vote “is one of the most basic promises of our democracy”—yet is under attack in states across the country.
Proving that our democracy works best when we work together, When We All Vote is a Black-led, nonpartisan national initiative that reached more than 100 million eligible voters in 2020, with a philosophy of meeting them where they are. Executive director?Stephanie L. Young?has written?that voting isn’t a one-time transaction—“it’s a long-term investment we make every single day, not every two or four years, in building the communities, cities, states and country where we can all thrive.”
In the media, the podcast “The Brown Girls Guide to Politics” spotlights trailblazing Black, Brown, and Indigenous women. Its founder and host,?A’shanti F. Gholar,?says she started the project?because there was “no place for women of color that were interested in politics to go to get advice on how to get involved in politics, receive news about how politics impacts women of color or find out about amazing women of color running for elected office.”
And?Gloria J. Browne-Marshall, an expert on constitutional law, hosts “Your Democracy,” an animated digital series that has explored the freedom to vote, criminal justice, and what it means to be an American in the 21st century. “This is about empowerment,”?she has said. In an?interview last year, she invoked Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., who once spoke of the founding of our democracy as a promissory note. “We are supposed to inherit it in that promissory note of democracy, which is the foundation to all the other promises.”
Those words were true in King’s time, and they are true in ours. This month and every month. The freedom to vote is the freedom that protects all others, and we thank these Americans for celebrating it, protecting it, and safeguarding it for the next generation.
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State of the States
In Arizona,?newly released documents show that a state investigation of the 2020 election “systematically refuted accusations of widespread fraud,”?The Washington Post reported. The investigation was launched by then-Attorney General Mark Brnovich and took 10,000 hours of staff time. Investigators prepared a report in March 2022, but Brnovich kept it private, and instead “used his office to further claims about voting in Maricopa County that his own staff considered inaccurate,” the Post said. Kris Mayes, who succeeded Brnovich as attorney general this year,?released the documents this week. “The results of this exhaustive and extensive investigation show what we have suspected for over two years—the 2020 election in Arizona was conducted fairly and accurately by elections officials,” she said. “The 10,000-plus hours spent diligently investigating every conspiracy theory under the sun distracted this office from its core mission of protecting the people of Arizona from real crime and fraud.”
In Georgia,?the foreperson of the special grand jury charged with investigating attempts by former President Trump and his associates to undermine the 2020 election gave a series of media interviews this week, but?added little to what was already known about the?investigation.?Legal scholars and ethics experts say?the media tour is?unlikely to have any legal significance. Because the special grand jury lacked the power to?directly issue indictments, Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis will need to seek any indictments from a separate grand jury.?The majority of the special grand jury’s final report remains under seal pursuant to a court order.?States United has a?full guide to the investigation.
In Michigan,?Kristina Karamo, a prominent Election Denier, was?elected chair of the state Republican Party. Karamo?lost the race for secretary of state?in November by 14 percentage points, a margin of more than 600,000 votes, but has not formally conceded. As recently as last Saturday, she continued to float the unfounded allegation that “fraud” cost her the race. Election Deniers were?decisively defeated?last fall in races for offices that oversee voting in key states. But Karamo’s victory illustrates that the Election Denier movement remains a threat, particularly?in Congress,?in state legislatures, and?in races for state party chairs.
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In the News
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution:?Cities might run their elections, with help from a fake Georgia elector
By Mark Niesse and Adrianne Murchison
“‘Having election deniers in a position to influence local election laws and policies is a real risk,’ said?Joanna Lydgate, CEO of the?States United Democracy Center, an advocacy organization for fair elections. ‘In some cases, these are people who took steps to undermine the will of the American voters in 2020. Spreading lies about our elections can undermine voter confidence, spark confusion and even contribute to violence.’”
The New York Times:?Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump Subpoenaed in Jan. 6 Investigation
By Maggie Haberman and Michael S. Schmidt
“The decision by the special counsel, Jack Smith, to subpoena Ms. Trump and Mr. Kushner underscores how deeply into Mr. Trump’s inner circle Mr. Smith is reaching, and is the latest sign that no potential high-level witness is off limits.”
The Washington Post:?Arizona’s top prosecutor concealed records debunking election fraud claims
By Yvonne Wingett Sanchez and Isaac Stanley-Becker
“Nearly a year after the 2020 election, Arizona’s then-attorney general Mark Brnovich launched an investigation into voting in the state’s largest county that quickly consumed more than 10,000 hours of his staff’s time. Investigators prepared a report in March 2022 stating that virtually all claims of error and malfeasance were unfounded, according to internal documents reviewed by The Washington Post. Brnovich, a Republican, kept it private.”
领英推荐
Michigan Advance:?Benson works on national voting reforms, including big penalties for threatening election workers
By Ken Coleman
“The recommendations, focusing on election integrity, voting access and civic engagement, include best practices drawn from cities and states across the nation that can and should be replicated more broadly.”
By Mike Allen
“House Speaker Kevin McCarthy has given Fox News’ Tucker Carlson exclusive access to 41,000 hours of Capitol surveillance footage from the Jan. 6 riot, McCarthy sources tell me. Carlson TV producers were on Capitol Hill last week to begin digging through the trove, which includes multiple camera angles from all over Capitol grounds. Excerpts will begin airing in the coming weeks.”
Detroit Free Press:?Kristina Karamo elected chair of Michigan Republican Party
By Paul Egan
“Kristina Karamo, a Republican who has made unsubstantiated allegations of fraud in the 2020 presidential election and has still not conceded her 14-point loss in the 2022 Michigan election for secretary of state, was elected chair of the Michigan Republican Party Saturday, after three ballots at a state convention.”
By?Carter Walker?and?Kate Huangpu
“Pennsylvania voters did not have equal opportunities to cast or correct their ballots during the November 2022 election, the latter producing a disparity that disenfranchised hundreds of voters, a Spotlight PA and Votebeat analysis has found. … The outlets focused on how counties treat mail ballots, as state law is silent on logistical details that directly impact how Pennsylvanians can vote and whether a person’s vote counts.”
By Adam Edelman
“Daniel Kelly is a former state Supreme Court justice with connections to a plan hatched by the former president's allies to reverse the 2020 election results in Wisconsin through the use of “fake electors.” He was one of two candidates to advance in Tuesday’s Supreme Court primary, according to projections by The Associated Press.”
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Profile of the Week
Politico spotlights?Arizona Secretary of State?Adrian Fontes?and Maricopa County Recorder?Stephen Richer, who belong to different parties but are united by respect for the will of the voters:
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About the States United Democracy Center:
The States United Democracy Center is a nonpartisan organization advancing free, fair, and secure elections. We focus on connecting state officials, law enforcement leaders, and pro-democracy partners across America with the tools and expertise they need to safeguard our democracy. We are more than a think tank—we are an action tank. And together, we are committed to making sure every vote is counted, every voice is heard, and every election is safe. To learn more, visit?www.statesuniteddemocracy.org.
About States United Action
States United Action is a nonpartisan section 501(c)(4) nonprofit organization with a mission to protect our elections and our democracy. States United Action advocates for policies that protect election integrity, hold democracy violators accountable, and prevent political violence that threatens to undermine the will of the American people, and amplifies the voices of state leaders and law enforcement leaders who share these values. To learn more, visit?www.statesuniteddemocracy.org/states-united-action.
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