In a year marked by an overdue national conversation on anti-racism and a heightened political distrust surrounding the upcoming election, more young people here on campus and in our surrounding communities are tuning into the ongoing fight for voter protections in this country. Ichabods looking to learn more have a great chance to do so next week with an upcoming panel discussion by Carol Anderson.
Anderson is a professor of African American Studies at Emory University and a New York Times best-selling author. She will be hosting a panel discussion for Washburn students on Friday, Oct. 16 at 6:00 p.m. The event will primarily cover her research detailed in her 2018 book, One Person, No Vote: How Voter Suppression Is Destroying Our Democracy. It explains the ongoing fallout of the Supreme Court’s 2013 Shelby Decision.
The Shelby Decision comes from the landmark case Shelby County v. Holder. It questions select provisions of the Voting Rights Act of 1965. The court’s 5-4 decision ended the need for state and local governments with a history of racial voting discrimination to seek preclearance from the United States Attorney General before altering their voting laws or practices.
“I admire Dr. Anderson’s determination to tell the truth about what she has found in her research, no matter how painful that truth is,” says Director Danielle Dempsey-Swopes of University Diversity and Inclusion, speaking as an accomplished activist herself.
“Too many people believe that Black and low-income individuals don’t want to or don’t care about their right to vote. It is painful to accept that this right has been taken away from them through several voter suppression tactics. I admire Dr. Anderson for reminding us that while we have many problems with voting and voting access, there are many ways that the problems can be fixed if we call on our congressional representatives to do so,” Dempsey-Swopes continued.
She will be joined in conversation by the chair of the Political Science department, Bob Beatty, Washburn lecturer, and representative of the Center for Student Success Center, Steve Hagamen, and the chair of the Communications department, Jim Schnoebelen.
Junior Political Science student and Loud Light Voter Registration Campus Fellow Kaitlyn Farmer is excited for this opportunity to learn from the experts. She has high hopes for what her peers will learn.
“I hope that they’ll learn that voter suppression is still happening in the US. It is not just something in the past. We will have to be vigilant against these forces, which are still prevalent today,” said Farmer.
The event will be held virtually here: https://www.youtube.com/washburnvideo

Edited by Jason M., Matthew Self