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Former President Donald Trump's latest indictment in Georgia serves as a reminder that the state is ground zero for the threats facing our democracy, and we must continue the fight to protect our precious freedom to vote.
Since then-President Trump demanded that Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger "find" him 11,780 votes in 2020, voting rights have deteriorated in Georgia. While Governor Brian Kemp certified Georgia's election results, flipping the state blue for the first time in 30 years, he later justified Trump's "election fraud" cries by smoothing the way for a new set of election restrictions, which experts are likening to the Jim Crow era.
The state of Georgia carries a legacy of voter suppression that has been unleashed for more present day attacks in the wake of Shelby County v. Holder, the disastrous decision handed down by the Supreme Court 10 years ago.
In Shelby, the Court struck down Section 4(b) of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 as unconstitutional on the grounds that it overextends the power of congressional oversight. This provision required the consent of Congress before states with histories of voter suppression—including Georgia—could enact a law that may impact voters of color.
State officials in Georgia and across the South are taking advantage of the newfound lack of accountability, creating election laws and restrictions that simply don't need to be evaluated for any potential discrimination.
Kemp, familiar with voter suppression, oversaw the closure of polling locations in predominantly Black and brown counties. He also signed a bill criminalizing the distribution of food and water to those who are waiting in long lines to vote. This is not by coincidence; it is systemic, and it is happening in part because Trump and others have so vehemently challenged voting systems in Georgia.
It's no wonder that politicians like Trump are trying to take away our right to vote. Georgia, a once solidly Republican state, flipped Democratic following the tireless efforts led by organizations led by people of color in Georgia, including strong Black women leaders like former gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams, who worked with a broad coalition of civil rights organizations to register nearly 1 million voters in the state, and Helen Butler, with the Georgia Coalition for the People's Agenda.
Now, state Republicans are trying to silence other Black women leaders like Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis, passing legislation earlier this year that could lead to her ouster. The legislation created a panel who will have the authority to discipline and remove prosecutors they don't like.
Trump's words and actions undoubtedly contributed to the violent Jan. 6 attacks on the U.S. Capitol two years ago, which led to the deaths of seven people and further shook the foundations of our democracy. But Jan. 6 didn't end on that day, and our freedom to vote in Georgia—and beyond—hangs in the balance.
We must always remember the central role of racism and systemic suppression in conversations about election security and election "interference." MAGA Republican politicians refuse to validate the voices of the growing number of Black and brown voters in Georgia.
But while things may look bleak, there are positive developments thanks to the hard and unrelenting work of democracy advocates nationwide. The Voting Rights Lab found that more than half of all elections-related bills introduced across the country in recent years would expand voting access and support nonpartisan election administration.
As Martin Luther King Jr. famously said, "The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice."
In Georgia and throughout America, we find ourselves in a long battle to counter Trump's anti-democratic forces. But we will see justice prevail if we continue to fight for our sacred freedom to vote.
Martin Luther King III and Arndrea Waters King are chair and president, respectively, of the Drum Major Institute. Together, they promote global human rights and eradicating racism, violence, and poverty.
The views expressed in this article are the writers' own.
