Episode 92: War on the Black Vote

Since the 2013 Shelby v. HolderSupreme Court decision, which struck down key provisions of the Voting Rights Act, we’ve witnessed a rise in voter suppression efforts across the United States. However, grassroots organizations across the country are fighting back and finding innovative ways to mobilize the Black and Latinx vote. Today, we are joined by an award winning community organizer, Tequila Johnson, who helped register nearly 100,000 voters in TN as the co-founder of The Equity Alliance and the statewide manager for the Tennessee Black Voter Project. During our conversation, we discuss the power of grassroots organizing (17:35) and the challenges that activists face as they fight for equity (20:15). We then discuss barriers to mobilizing the Black vote (26:02) as well as voter suppression and gerrymandering (32:02). We close by discussing the 2020 presidential hopefuls (36:40), qualities that voters should look for in a political leader (39:40), ways that everyday people can join the movement (42:30), and resources to become more knowledgeable about the political process (45:34).

Other Topics Include:

00:30 - Catch up on Politics with Ty and Daphne

11:08 - Introduction of the Topic

14:00 - Learn more about Tequila Johnson

52:04 - Ty and Daphne Reflect on the Interview

Resources:

• Twitter - @EquityAlliance1

• The Equity Alliance - https://theequityalliance.org

• Tennessee Black Voter Project - https://proudvoter.org/partner/tnblackvoterproject/

• Tennessee wants to make it harder to hold voter registration drives - https://www.cnn.com/2019/04/13/politics/tennessee-voter-registration-drive-bill-trnd/index.html

• Voter registration groups sue to block Tennessee law with tough penalties for signup mistakes - https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2019/05/03/voter-registration-groups-sue-block-tennessee-law-with-tough-penalties-signup-mistakes/

• Activists say new Tennessee law aims to suppress African American votes - https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2019/jun/04/tennessee-law-aims-to-suppress-african-american-votes-lawsuit

• Tequila Johnson is Nashville Voice’s 2018 ‘Nashvillian of the Year’ - https://www.thevoicenashville.com/featured/tequila-johnson-is-nashville-voices-2018-nashvillian-of-the-year/

• Democratic Debate: Tulsi Gabbard, After Threatening Boycott, Will Participate on Tuesday - https://www.nytimes.com/2019/10/14/us/politics/tulsi-gabbard-debate.html

• Democracy in Chains: The Deep History of Radical Right’s Stealth Plan for America - https://history.duke.edu/book/democracy-chains

• Dark Money: The Hidden History of the Billionaires Behind the Rise of the Radical Right - https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/215462/dark-money-by-jane-mayer/

• Ratf**ked: Why Your Vote Doesn’t Count - https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2016/06/27/ratfcked-the-influence-of-redistricting

• The Shock Doctrine: The Rise of Disaster Capitalism - https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1237300.The_Shock_Doctrine

• Minority Leader: How to Lead Change from the Outside and Make Real Change - http://minorityleaderbook.com