Tyson King-Meadows, associate professor of political science and chair of Africana studies, will speak this afternoon on the panel “Protecting the Right to Vote” at the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) Annual Legislative Conference. Panelists will discuss voting rights issues in the wake of the U.S. Supreme Court’s recent invalidation of key parts of the Voting Rights Act of 1965.
Panel organizers share:
Through its opinion in Shelby County v. Holder, the Supreme Court substantially altered the web of laws protecting the voting rights of the African-American Community. While the federal government still retains formidable authority under the Voting Rights Act, Congress will be required to re-examine federal authority under Section 5 of the Act. When combined with the challenges raised by voter suppression statutes passed by the states during prior to the 2012 elections, important concerns exists about the state of the law and whether the Court has turned back the clock. This Braintrust will explore the impact of the Shelby County decision and how Congress can act to restore Voting Rights Act authority and continue to protect voter from evolving discrimination.
Prof. Spencer Overton, George Washington University Law School, will moderate the panel today, 1:00-3:00 p.m. at the Washington Convention Center, Room 143-A.
King-Meadows’ fellow panelists Nicole M. Austin-Hillery, Director and Counsel, Washington Office, Brennan Center for Justice; Wade Henderson, President & CEO of The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights; Rev. Jesse L. Jackson, Sr., Founder Rainbow/PUSH Coalition; Greg Moore, Executive Director, NAACP National Voter Fund; Charles Ogletree, Harvard Law School; Becky Pringle, Secretary/Treasurer, National Education Association; Hilary Shelton, Senior Vice President for Advocacy and Policy, NAACP; and Deborah J. Vagins, Senior Legislative Counsel, ACLU Washington
Legislative Office.
Tags: AfricanaStudies, CAHSS, PoliticalScience
