EP141: Voter Suppression and the Importance of Minoritized Youth Voting in the United States with Dr. Carol Anderson — Election 2024 series, part one of two

In The Margins

In this episode we sit down with Dr. Carol Anderson, a renowned professor of African American Studies at Emory University and the author of five books, including her bestseller White Rage which won the 2016 National Book Critics Circle Award for Criticism.

Anderson discusses the challenges and strategies for engaging youth voters, particularly in African American and Latino communities. She identifies structural barriers, such as voter ID laws and inconvenient polling locations, that hinder participation, emphasizing the importance of civic education and community organizing.

Tune in as she, and Diverse host Ralph Newell, delve into the implications of the Shelby County v. Holder decision, which removed federal oversight of state voting laws, leading to voter suppression affecting minorities. She shares inspiring grassroots initiatives that have successfully countered voter suppression, like the 2017 Alabama senate election, and urges young voters to register, plan their voting, and use their collective power to drive meaningful change.

This discussion is part-one of our Election 2024 two-part series aimed to empower youth voter engagement, particularly among marginalized communities. In part-two Clarissa Martínez De Castro, Vice President of the Latino Vote Initiative at UnidosUS, joins us for a focused look at the importance of the Latino electorate.

KEY POINTS:

- Anderson's early experiences with injustice shaped her interest in history and politics.

- Voter ID laws and polling location issues limit youth participation, especially in communities of color.

- The gap between young voters' expectations and slow political change can be discouraging, but civic education is essential.

- The end of Voting Rights Act oversight has enabled voter suppression tactics like closures and purges.

- "White rage" refers to backlash against African American progress throughout history.

- Attacks on critical race theory reflect resistance to discussions of race and equality.

- How Anderson encourages young voters to embrace their power despite ongoing challenges.

QUOTABLES:

"The backlash would not be there unless we were fighting for our equality. And as we fight for our equality, we keep moving just an inch further closer to what that equality looks like." – Dr. Carol Anderson

"When you have that massive group coming out voting, then they have to pay attention to gun safety legislation, criminal justice reform, [and] climate change… They have to pay attention to voting rights, reproductive rights, [and] LGBTQ rights." – Dr. Carol Anderson

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Dr. Carol Anderson

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In The Margins is produced by Diverse: Issues In Higher Education and edited by EPYC Media Network (visit at https://www.epyc.co/).