“I believe the work that many of us have done in the past, our ancestors, should not be undone with this knee-jerk reaction to others making claims that things have been unfair, the playing field has not been even yet. The Voting Rights Act was relevant then, and it’s relevant now. Any backward steps from that are not going to be helpful to our democracy. So, whatever is happening in Louisiana needs to be consistent with what our ancestors, our forefathers, our freedom fighters did back in the ’60s, ’70s, and even before then. So, I think those gains should not be given up. And in fact, more people, more rights should be administered across the board, so we’re not losing ground on having everyone who’s eligible to vote be able to have their vote.”
“The systems are constructed not in the best interests of the Black community. There’s a subset of us who are on the front lines and are trying to say, ‘Hey, this is not fair,’ but they’re going to do it. It is just really important to empower our people to know that no matter what the system is above me, we have to figure out a way to thrive, grow, and to not take on this ‘woe is me’ mindset. And unfortunately, in this system, that’s what they want you to continue feeling. And they want you to continue to feel oppressed and uprooted. And I’m done just within myself. I can’t handle that type of stress. I refuse to crumble underneath that system. They can do whatever they want to do, right? Do what you want to do, because I’m going to do what I want. I’m going to do what I have to do, and what I need to do, and what I want to do to make sure my kids know who they are, to make sure my neighbors know who they are, and to make sure we as a people know who we are.”
“They’re making it hard for us. It is like they are turning back time. They are making it resemble a dictatorship, and they are doing it right in front of our faces.”
“I think that it’s unfair, especially as a Black person myself. Since the Supreme Court is changing the laws and every single thing, it will be really difficult for us to tell future Black people, future Black generations, yeah, we did something successful during our time by allowing freedom of speech and voting.”
“It is inhumane solely because it limits the ability for us Black folks and people of color to have options to demote or keep a current or running president or person in charge. And with this kind of act, it would limit accountability from their side, which would affect future generations’ willingness to vote.”
“Not a fan. In general, where we are in this country, no matter the president, I don’t really feel like we’re supported by anybody. I think the Supreme Court allowing this to happen should scare us. Maybe things would be better if there were a higher number of folks who were Democrats on the Supreme Court. But I think we should be really worried about what could potentially happen to us. I am fearful.”
“I heard about their decision. I think it’s utterly ridiculous. Obviously, I’m not surprised, considering the state of the country lately. It feels like a one-step-forward, two-steps-back situation. I like to believe that we, as humans, as time goes forward, we get more compassionate, more intelligent, we learn more about one another, and what it means to be human. And I like to think that we’re moving in the right direction, but I think at least in this country, it’s going to be a very difficult journey. So maybe the next 50 years look a little bit less inspiring. I wouldn’t be here without the things that my forefathers have done, and hopefully, we’ll do some things for some people in the future.”
