Fighting for Voting Rights in the 21st Century
Session Type(s): Panel
Starts: Thursday, Jul. 17 4:45 PM (Eastern)
Ends: Thursday, Jul. 17 6:00 PM (Eastern)
This year we’re fighting for voting rights on both the federal and local levels. A new bill updating the VRA is moving through Congress, and states are working locally to modernize elections or combat restrictive bills. However, there are two key components we must continue addressing to ensure the future of voting rights: felony disenfranchisement and youth engagement. Last year, the New York Times estimated that while black turnout reached record numbers, it was still suppressed do to the shear amount of African American citizens who couldn’t vote because of a prior felony conviction. Nationally 4.4 million citizens who are no longer incarcerated are blocked from the ballot box due to similar laws. There is also an increased attack on the youth vote in states like North Carolina and Florida. This panel addresses what needs to be done not only to protect these votes but also encourage turnout.
Panelists
Terry Ao Minnis
Terry Ao Minnis is the director of the census and voting programs for Asian Americans Advancing Justice | AAJC. Mrs. Minnis co-chairs the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights’ Census Task Force and sat on the U.S Department of Commerce’s 2010 Census Advisory Committee from 2002 through 2011, when the committee’s charter ran out. Mrs. Minnis has published several articles and has been counsel on numerous amicus briefs filed before the Supreme Court on voting rights cases, including Shelby County v. Holder. Mrs. Minnis was one of the key leaders in campaigns on reauthorizing the Voting Rights Act in 2006 and on Census 2010. Mrs. Minnis received her Juris Doctor, cum laude, from American University Washington College of Law and her Bachelor’s degree in economics at the University of Chicago.
Gregory Moore
As one of the nation’s leading voting rights advocates Greg Moore has led successful efforts through grassroots organizing and voter mobilization at all government levels. As the Senior Political Strategist for the Democracy Initiative Greg focuses on voting rights, building constituent convergence in money in politics while working with allied partners to reform Senate legislative rules. He also continues to direct of the NAACP National Voter Fund (C 4) advocacy and voter engagement programs.
While serving as Deputy Director for the Democratic National Committee Moore was instrumental in developing the party’s voter registration and voter outreach programs. Further, he served as the Legislative Director and Chief of Staff for the Honorable John Conyers, Jr. (D), the ranking member of the U.S. House Judiciary Committee, (MI-14th) and Dean of the Congressional Black Caucus.