‘We’re going backwards’: five civil rights activists slam the supreme court’s gutting of Voting Rights Act

Key Points:

• Sheyann Webb-Christburg, known as the "smallest freedom fighter," was eight years old during the Bloody Sunday march in Selma and emphasizes the ongoing struggle against voter suppression, especially following recent Supreme Court actions against the Voting Rights Act.
• Constance Slaughter-Harvey, the first Black female judge in Mississippi, highlights the importance of voting as a means to challenge systemic racism, inspired by figures like Medgar Evers, and stresses the need for young people to continue the fight for equality.
• Benny Tucker, a Selma foot soldier and Martin Luther King Jr.'s bodyguard, recounts the violent obstacles faced during the civil rights movement, particularly on Bloody Sunday, and calls for renewed activism amid current setbacks in voting rights protections.
• Flonzie Brown-Wright, the first Black woman elected official in Mississippi post-Reconstruction, describes the discriminatory voter registration process and celebrates the progress made in Black political representation, urging young people to recognize the power of their vote.
• Doris Crenshaw, who began organizing for voting rights at age 12 with Rosa Parks, reflects on decades of voter registration efforts and warns that the weakening of the Voting Rights Act requires intensified efforts to engage and mobilize voters across all communities.