Politics

NAACP Sponsors Panel, March and Rally in Shelby County on 2nd Anniversary of Supreme Court Decision Gutting Voting Rights Act

Published

11 years ago

June 30, 2015

Rally in front of Shelby County courthouse participants holding up signs of states covered by the Voting Rights Act. (Courtesy Photo)

by John Zippert
Special to the NNPA from the Greene County Democrat

The Shelby County Chapter of the NAACP with support from the statewide organization and many partners held a panel, march, rally and church services this weekend to remember the second anniversary of the Shelby vs. Holder decision by the U. S. Supreme Court and work to restore the Voting Rights Act (VRA).

The Supreme Court in a June 2013 – 5 to 4 decision – ruled that the criteria in Section 4 of the act describing the criteria for states and geographic areas that would require preclearance of voting changes in Section 5 was outdated and unconstitutional. The Supreme Court’s decision in the Shelby County, Alabama case gutted the VRA and made it ineffective in over-ruling discriminatory changes in local and state voting rules and procedures.

Many southern states have adopted more restrictive voter registration and identification rules, reduced early voting, and generally adopted policies that suppress the votes of poor people and people of color, since the Shelby vs. Holder decision.

The Alabama State Conference of the NAACP held a panel discussion on Friday night at the New Mt. Moriah Baptist Church in Calera, Alabama. Among the participants were: Laughlin McDonald of the ACLU Voting Rights Project, Congresswomen Terri Sewell, Jerome Gray of the Alabama Democratic Conference, Denise Sanchez of the Alabama Coalition for Immigrant Justice and Hillary Shelton of the NAACP Washington Bureau.

Congresswomen Sewell pledged to introduce a new bill called the Voting Rights Reconstruction Act of 2015 which will modernize the requirements of the 1965 VRA and make sure Alabama is included as one of the states which will require pre-clearance of voting challenges.

Sewell told the story of the difficulties she had in securing a picture voter ID for her own father, who is now disabled, so he could vote in the November 2014 general election. “There were many obstacles and barriers in the Dallas County Courthouse which limited my father’s access to the Registrar’s office to secure the proper voting ID. It took a day of work and carrying him in a wheel chair up stairs but we were finally successful in getting a picture ID card,” said Sewell.

Jerome Gray explained “ in 1965 there were 150,000 Black voters registered in Alabama but now in 2015 there are 770,000, although there are still 300,000 or more unregistered Black voters. There were ten Black elected officials in 1965 and now there are 800.”

“The VRA did away with literacy tests, the poll tax and limitations on access to the polls. The VRA in Section 208 allows the voter to bring anyone to help him or her vote. There are language requirements in areas where Hispanics are a majority that the ballot be in printed in Spanish and other languages of the predominant voting block,” said Gray.

He said, “ We still have 105,000 mostly Black felons in Alabama whose right to vote must be restored. We also need to understand the importance of voting and that a high turnout of voters can win elections.”

Hillary Shelton of the NAACP spoke to the uphill battle ahead in Congress to restore the Voting Rights Act. He announced that the NAACP will be holding a six week march to restore the VRA beginning on August 1 in Selma, Alabama and traveling north through Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia on to arrive in Washington on September 15.

On Saturday, about 150 people marched ten blocks through downtown Columbiana, the county seat of Shelby County to the Courthouse. A rally with many additional speakers was held in front of the Courthouse.

Attorney Duell Ross of the NAACP Legal Defense Fund, a lawyer in the Shelby County case called “the Voting Rights Act, the crown jewel of our democracy, a checkpoint for justice that must be restored. The VRA act was the most effective law for civil rights in the past fifty years. We cannot allow the Supreme Court to take it away. The murders in Charleston, S. C. are related to and flow from the Shelby vs. Holder decision. We now all know that ‘Black lives matter’ but Black votes matter as well.”

Ben Montarosa of Mi Familia Vota, a Hispanic group dedicated to extending the vote to Latinos said a new Alabama law requiring proof of citizenship to vote will add more barriers to voting.

Senator Hank Sanders of Selma, representing the SOS Coalition for Democracy and Justice said, “ I came to make three points, voting is powerful; we are truly powerful if we work and vote together; and symbols are powerful.”

Sanders pointed out that, “having the name of a Confederate General and KKK Grand Dragon, like Edmund Pettus, on the bridge in Selma is a symbol; the murders in the Mother Emmanuel AME Zion Church in Charleston are symbolic – the murder drove past a hundred churches to get to the most historic one to the freedom struggle in South Carolina.”

He said, “Voting is powerful and affects everything we do; the air we breath; the water we drink; the food we eat; our birth – conception and abortion; the education we receive; jobs and opportunity; even our dying and burial are regulated by our votes. We must all be registered and we must vote in every election, all the way down the ballot, not just for President but for every political office and constitutional issue.”

Dr. Richard Arrington, first Black Mayor of Birmingham, Alabama was the final and keynote speaker. He said, “I see the Shelby vs. Holder decision as part of a long continuum in securing the rights and freedom of Black people in this country. It is disturbing that we as Black people need a tragedy, like the one in Charleston this week, to shake us out of our apathy. You need to ask yourself, was I at the polls last election to vote for those who select the police force, pave the roads, cover the ditches, educate our children – or did I leave it to others to make these important decisions that affect our future.”

A church service was held on Sunday afternoon to round out the weekend program and call for divine inspiration and guidance in the struggle to restore the Voting Rights Act.

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Activism

Supreme Court Voting Rights Ruling Reverberates From the South to California

The Supreme Court’s recent ruling weakening the Voting Rights Act is reshaping political battles, particularly in the South. While California’s protections may offer a buffer, the decision raises national concerns about Black political representation and redistricting.

Published

1 day ago

May 15, 2026

Oakland Post

Researchers pointed out that the number amounts to 1 in every 50 adults, with 3 out of 4 disenfranchised living in their communities, having completed their sentences or remaining supervised while on probation or parole. (Photo: iStockphoto)

iStock.

By Brandon Patterson

A recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling weakening a key section of the federal Voting Rights Act is already reshaping political battles in parts of the South while raising broader questions about the future of Black political representation nationwide.

In Louisiana v. Callais, the Court’s conservative majority limited the use of Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act, the provision historically used to challenge electoral maps that dilute minority voting strength. Writing in dissent, Justice Elena Kagan warned that the ruling marked the “now-complete demolition of the Voting Rights Act.”

The immediate effects of the ruling are expected to be felt most sharply in Southern states, where litigation over majority-Black districts has shaped congressional maps for decades. Republican-led states including Louisiana, Alabama, and Texas have already moved to defend or revisit maps following the decision, according to reporting by Reuters and Politico.

California’s political landscape is different. The state uses an independent citizen’s commission to draw district lines and also has its own California Voting Rights Act, which in some cases provides broader protections than federal law. Because of those safeguards, the Supreme Court’s decision is not expected to immediately alter Black political representation in California.

Still, legal scholars and voting rights advocates say the ruling could shape future national debates over how race is considered in redistricting and voting rights enforcement.

“It changes the legal atmosphere around voting rights nationally,” UCLA law professor Rick Hasen told Axios. “Even states with stronger protections are paying attention to where the Court is headed.”

The decision also arrives amid renewed political fights over redistricting. In California, voters approved Proposition 50 in November 2025, a measure backed by Gov. Gavin Newsom that expanded the state’s ability to redraw congressional maps in response to mid-decade redistricting efforts in other states.

Supporters argued the measure was necessary to counter increasingly aggressive Republican-led redistricting nationally, while critics warned it could weaken California’s independent redistricting tradition.

For Black Californians, the ruling lands at a time when political representation remains significant even as demographic shifts have changed historically Black neighborhoods in cities like Oakland, Los Angeles and San Francisco.

Oakland Mayor Barbara Lee criticized the Court’s decision in comments to The Oaklandside, calling the Voting Rights Act one of the nation’s foundational civil rights protections.

“This decision weakens one of the most important civil rights tools our communities have had,” Lee said. “We know voting rights were never given freely. People fought and died for them.”

Rep. Lateefah Simon warned against complacency.

“This is part of a larger effort to erase the gains of the civil rights movement,” Simon told Oaklandside. “Black political power matters, and representation matters.”

The Voting Rights Act, passed in 1965 during the height of the Civil Rights Movement, helped expand Black political representation nationwide, including in California, where coalition politics among Black, Latino and Asian American voters helped elect candidates of color at the local, state and federal levels.

For many observers, the latest ruling serves less as an immediate threat to California districts and more as a reminder that voting rights protections long viewed as settled remain politically and legally contested.

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School District Extends Supt. Dr. Denise Saddler’s Contract for a Second Year

The Oakland Board of Education has extended Superintendent Denise Saddler’s contract through June 2027, promoting her from interim to permanent superintendent with a salary of $367,765.45 per year.

Published

1 day ago

May 15, 2026

Oakland Post

Supt. Dr. Denise Saddler. File photo.

By Post Staff

The Oakland Board of Education voted this week to extend Superintendent Denise Saddler’s contract for another year, from July 1, 2026, to June 30, 2027.

Under the new agreement, Saddler’s job title will become “superintendent”; she will no longer be called “interim.”

Along with the new title, she will receive full superintendent benefits and salary at $367,765.45 per year, according to the employment agreement.

The vote to approve the new contract passed 5-2 at Wednesday night’s board meeting.

Saddler’s original interim contract was for one year. The school board was planning to select a permanent superintendent by the fall but earlier this year decided to delay the search.

The new contract reflects the Board of Education’s “determination that continuity in executive leadership is in the best interests of the district as Oakland Unified continues implementation of its fiscal stabilization strategies, academic priorities, labor relations initiatives, and operational improvements,” the employment agreement reads.

In November, the board approved a $150,000 contract with a consulting firm to carry out that search, but Board President Jennifer Brouhard told KQED last month that the process never got off the ground.

“No work was done, no money has been paid for the work (to) the search firm for the superintendent search,” Brouhard said. “Hopefully, we’ll be resuming that in the early part of the fall.”

Dr. Saddler was born and raised in Oakland, attended local schools, and has dedicated more than 45 years of her career to serving Oakland students and families.

She began her career in 1979 as a teacher of students with disabilities. Over the years, she has served as a teacher, principal, district leader, and teachers’ union president.

While working in OUSD, she has served as principal at Chabot Elementary, area auperintendent, and executive leader for Community Engagement and Educational Transitions. She has also supported schools as a principal coach and substitute principal and taught at UC Berkeley’s Graduate School of Education.

Dr. Saddler holds a Doctorate in Educational Leadership from Mills College and master’s degrees in special education and in Staff Development and Administration.

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Activism

Mayor Barbara Lee Joins National Public Safety Leaders to Advance Proven Violence Reduction Strategies

Oakland Mayor Barbara Lee attends a two-day meeting with other mayors and public safety leaders to discuss violence reduction strategies; Oakland has seen a 39% drop in homicides.

Published

1 day ago

May 15, 2026

Oakland Post

Oakland was one of four cities participating in a public safety convening. Courtesy image.

By Post Staff

Mayor Barbara Lee this week joined Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott, Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle Parker and public safety leaders from Oakland for a two-day meeting focused on advancing cutting-edge public safety strategies, including focused deterrence and violence reduction.

The meeting brought together civic and public safety leaders from Oakland and Indianapolis to locations in Baltimore and Philadelphia to share lessons learned and identify innovative approaches to crime prevention, intervention, and enforcement.

The participating cities are widely recognized for pioneering community-centered public safety models that prioritize prevention, accountability, and sustained investment in neighborhood-based solutions

Oakland’s delegation included Department of Violence Prevention (DVP) Chief Holly Joshi, Oakland Police Department Assistant Chief Casey Johnson, and Ceasefire Director Annette Jointer.

Oakland’s participation underscores its continued leadership in advancing evidence-based violence reduction strategies and building a public safety system that integrates law enforcement with community intervention and prevention programs.

Oakland continues to see historic reductions in violence, reflecting coordinated efforts across the Department of Violence Prevention, Oakland Police Department, Ceasefire, and community-based partners, including:

Violent crime down 22%
Homicides down 39%
Lowest homicide total in nearly 60 years

These gains reflect sustained investment in focused deterrence strategies, real-time intervention, and expanded community violence interruption programs.

“Public safety is not achieved by any one agency alone—it requires coordination, trust, and a shared commitment to prevention and accountability,” said Lee. “We are proud to stand alongside cities like Baltimore, Philadelphia, and Indianapolis that are proving what works. We are seeing real progress in reducing violence in our communities, and we remain committed to building on that momentum through strategies that center prevention, intervention, and strong partnerships with residents.”

“Oakland’s progress shows what is possible when cities invest in focused deterrence and wraparound supports that reach people most at risk,” said Joshi. “Our work is grounded in building trust, responding quickly to emerging conflicts, and connecting individuals to services that interrupt cycles of violence. This convening was an opportunity to strengthen that work through shared learning with peers who are advancing similar strategies nationwide.”

Said Johnson, “Effective public safety requires a balanced approach that combines accountability with deep collaboration across agencies and communities.”

“We are seeing meaningful reductions in violent crime because of strong partnerships between law enforcement, DVP, Ceasefire, and community organizations,” said Johnson. “Engaging with peer cities allows us to refine and improve the strategies that are making Oakland safer.”