GA republicans work to end voting access and rights simply because they lost a fair election and are embarrassed that white supremacy’s dying legacy is itched in stone. But we, Generation Z, stand with the people and aren’t going back to Jim Crow days.
As a registered voter in the State of Georgia, the fact that a Black woman is arrested for defending voter’s rights and access is beyond devastating.
It’s a sign that the battle for freedom, equity and power is far from over.
Being a young, Black man in this state and country has been most difficult for me to experience the injustices taking place. I cannot simply remain silent.
On Thursday evening, when the SB202 voter suppression bill targeted Black and brown voters, the arrest of a Black legislator, Rep. Park Cannon, who was fighting for the voting rights of her constituents, was just another reminder of Georgia’s dark past and repeat of an era of hate some Georgians just don’t want to let die.
We must fight for the future of our democracy, which is on the line.
Just as republican’s in the State of Georgia seek to establish Jim Crow 2.0., we must all speak up together against injustice. We need more of our white allies speaking out to influence policy changes that protects not suppresses the vote.
My political views align with Rep. Park Cannon.
And so do other Gen Z students across Georgia. We want to be the change that Georgia history books reveal is do desperately needed.
Our generation doesn’t want to relive Jim Crow, which is prevalent in Georgia public school district curriculums. This curriculum aligns with obvious and consistent behaviors of Georgia republican leaders working to suppress voters.
Georgians voted their conscience and now must speak up against these actions of oppression. The 95- page bill contains over a dozen republican proposals that would require stricter voter identification rules for ballots received by mail.
The legislators who passed this bill in my view represented a flagrantly racist, partisan power grab in modern Georgia history.
Their goal is to specifically silence people of color. This isn’t just a battle to protect white supremacy but to attack Black women specifically because of Stacey Abram’s work to organize and register voters in Georgia. A goal that in 2021, more people should be lifting their voices to say, “NO”, we won’t go back to days on legislated discrimination and injustice!
The Republican’s efforts to block Georgians from voting are despicable, inhumane, and sick.
In addition, I believe that the move is linked to their republican leader who lost his second term in the Presidency, not to mention the Governor of Georgia, whose friend is the former president.
The GOP is not in a good mood that democrats now control both branches of our government.
It’s showing in their actions and the lesson republicans are leaving for us is to thrown temper tantrums when you don’t get your way and do whatever it takes to win, even if you have to lie, cheat and steal.
Gen X doesn’t believe in a good ole boy system that only looks out for white men while disenfranchising the rights of others.
Fellow ESC leader, Aisha Dukuly speaks to the reasons why the bills are unacceptable for Georgia voters and our generation. Republicans are even working to silence our voices with being able to peacefully protest. Our generation protests against S.B. 202 and other laws intended to oppress Georgia voters continues across Metro Atlanta and the state with demonstrations, sharing our stories and most importantly speaking out against the injustices and racism driving such bills.
We will continue to oppose these actions of GA republicans and other measures that will impoverish and restrict people of color as well as other targeted groups from Muslims, LGBTQ, youth and lower income communities.
Collective efforts are happening to call on the United States Senate and Congress to pass H.R. 1, the For the People Act, and H.R. 4, the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act, to help repair our democracy and to stop such threatening attacks on voting rights.
Brian Dillard, Jr. is a Gwinnett County student leader and EdLanta Student Coalition activist. See more of the ESC’s work at our site.
Jason has worked in education for over 15 years as a teacher, blogger and community advocate. He speaks and writes primarily about the need to improve education for Black boys, particularly increasing the number of Black male educators in schools. In addition to blogging here at EdLanta, Jason is also a featured writer at Education Post.