National Urban League report calls democracy “under siege”
There is a national effort from conservatives to strip away the civil rights of Black people, according to the National Urban League’s president & CEO.
Democratic institutions have been weakened, according to numerous scholars across the country, and some have been fearing the end to our democracy itself. The National Urban League agrees with much of this sentiment, noting that bad actors in politics have been chipping away at democratic rights, particularly for Black folks and people of color.
A new report from the organization states that “never has the fragility of our democracy been more exposed than it is today.”
“It really, really took a turn with the election of Barack Obama. After Barack Obama’s election, I think is when this plot was hatched.” – Marc Morial, National Urban League.
Listen: The recent decimation of the protection of voting rights for African Americans
Guest
Marc Morial is the president & CEO of the National Urban League. He says the league has focused on democracy, voting rights, and the effort to “chip away at the very foundation of this nation.”
This effort began after the election of America’s first Black president, according to Morial.
“It really, really took a turn with the election of Barack Obama,” Morial says. “After Barack Obama’s election, I think is when this plot was hatched. The Tea Party was a visible component of it, but behind the scenes there were right wing and conservative lawyers plotting legal challenges to the Voting Rights Act.”
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