We are living in a time where voting matters more than it has in most of our lifetimes. A hero of mine said, “The vote is precious. It is almost sacred. It is the most powerful non-violent tool we have in a democracy.”
And yet, we are living in a time when the right to vote of Black and brown people is being threatened by voter suppression measures. The tactics of voter suppression, whether obvious or not, have had long-term consequences. We have seen it in the past, and we can see it in our present. The decisions we make in the November 3 election will determine the ways in which our communities are shaped by selecting who has the power. As Marc Elias said in a recent Truth. Action. Reconciliation. conversation on democracy, “People don’t realize oftentimes that when we see long lines [at the polls], it’s not a sign of enthusiasm. It’s a sign of the failure of democracy. And that inevitably the faces of the people in that line are Black and brown and young.”
The right to fully participate in our democracy has not been open to all. We cannot allow for the continued suppression of the vote in our communities.
The deadline to register to vote is coming up in states across the country, many of which are in the Southeast.
Make sure you’re registered to vote before it’s too late!
Black, white or brown; rich or poor; rural or urban; we all depend on one another in ways big and small. We cannot forget this. The most patriotic thing you can do right now is make sure your vote is counted in the presidential election. Let’s come together to make all of our voices heard in this election.
Mitch Landrieu
Founder & President, E Pluribus Unum
*E Pluribus Unum is a nonpartisan organization.
Truth. Action. Reconciliation. Conversation Series Focuses on Economic Equity
EPU’s weekly conversation series on how we move forward together to address the issues that surround race and equity in the South
Thank you all for joining us for our third installment of the “Action” Series last week.
Missed Our Conversation on Health Equity? Check It Out!
Now, we are moving through the Action Series, posing the question: knowing what we know, how do we move forward to build stronger, more equitable communities for all of us?
Join us for our fourth conversation in the Action Series where our panelists will discuss how to advance economic equity.
THE ACTION SERIES: The Time is Now
Economic Equity
Thursday, October 8, 2020
2:30 pm ET/ 1:30 pm CT
Census deadline is shortened to Oct. 5, then extended to original end date of Oct. 31 again
On Friday, a federal judge, Judge Lucy Koh, directed the Trump administration to not end 2020 Census counting on Monday, Oct. 5, and ordered it to continue until October 31. This followed a post Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross tweeted on Monday, Sept. 28 announcing that counting would end on Oct. 5, over three weeks sooner than the Census Bureau’s original plan to end counting on Oct. 31, which Judge Koh reinstated.
See our statement below:
Judge Lucy Koh has ordered census counting to continue through Oct. 31, an extended deadline that will give undercounted communities a better chance to get counted. This extension is a necessary step toward helping us achieve racial and economic equity and a fair count here in the South.
NEWS AROUND THE SOUTH
Alabama
A U.S. District Judge ruled Wednesday that Alabama voters at risk for contracting COVID-19 shouldn’t have to comply with all the state’s requirements for casting absentee ballots in November. Attorney General Steve Marshall said that the State of Alabama will appeal the ruling. [WHNT]
Arkansas
Louisiana, Arkansas are among states with the lowest census participation. [Red River Radio]
Florida
Sources with the Department of Justice confirmed last Wednesday that immigration detainees in South Florida are being required to attend court hearings with other migrants even if they have COVID-19. [WLRN]
Georgia
Census workers race against the clock in undercounted Southwest Georgia county with $500 million at stake. [GPB]
Kentucky
The University of Louisville has seen a 34% increase in students pursuing an undergraduate degree in public health since the start of the pandemic — the largest percentage surge for any baccalaureate degree program. [Kentucky Forward]
Louisiana
Hurricane Laura evacuees receiving tools to vote and complete the census. [ArkLaTex]
Mississippi
Healthcare workers say misinformation and messaging, fueled by conflicting messages from federal and state leadership, have worsened the toll COVID-19 has taken in Mississippi. [NMES 360]
North Carolina
600 COVID-19-related complaints have been made to OSHA in the last four months from North Carolina workers, alleging their workplace isn’t keeping them safe. [Fox 46]
South Carolina
The Charleston County School District Board of Trustees says they are looking to give teachers, administrators and school-based staff a bonus for their work adjusting during the pandemic. School board Chair Rev. Dr. Eric Mack said members will vote next week on a $500 bonus for teachers and school administrators and a $250 bonus for other support staff like teacher assistants. [WCSC]
Tennessee
Shelby County could lose a state House seat with the 2020 Census undercount, and could lose two — both possibly from predominantly Black districts. Shelby County has lost a legislative seat after each of the last four, once-a-decade, federal censuses. [MLK 50]
Texas
Texas census advocates worry that the 2020 Census schedule confusion could lead to undercounting. [KAWC]
Virginia
The 2020 Census deadline should instill confidence, not sow doubt. [Richmond Times-Dispatch]
West Virginia
Football coaches in Boone County are feeling the pressure of lost revenue from Friday night football games. Only parents are allowed in the stands due to the pandemic, and small schools are feeling the crunch from lost gate and concession sales. Schools have to field costs for officials, bus drivers, equipment, etc. while facing the loss of the thousands of dollars of revenue that a single home game could generate. [WV Gazette Mail]
