North Carolina court blocks state voter ID law, citing ‘intent to target African American voters’

A North Carolina state court panel on Friday blocked a voter identification law, citing discrimination against Black voters.

The law, known as SB 824, was passed in 2018 after Republicans lost their supermajority in the legislature but before the new legislature took over. It was already on hold under a preliminary injunction, after North Carolina’s Court of Appeals said voter ID provisions could negatively impact Black voters. But now the state court has permanently blocked the law, which required photo identification to vote.

The majority of the three-judge panel said Friday that the law “was motivated at least in part by an unconstitutional intent to target African American voters.”

“Other, less restrictive voter ID laws would have sufficed to achieve the legitimate nonracial purposes of implementing the constitutional amendment requiring voter ID, deterring fraud, or enhancing voter confidence,” Superior Court Judges Michael O’Foghludha and Vince Rozier wrote in their ruling Friday.

In a statement, Southern Coalition for Social Justice co-executive director and chief counsel for voting rights Allison Riggs and pro bono counsel Andrew Ehrlich — attorneys who served on behalf of a group of North Carolina voters — said they “hope” the ruling sent “a strong message that racial discrimination will not be tolerated.”

The statement continued: “Today’s ruling striking down North Carolina’s latest unconstitutional photo voter ID law is a testament to the overwhelming evidence, including compelling stories of disenfranchisement from voters themselves, which highlighted how the state’s Republican-controlled legislature undeniably implemented this legislation to maintain its power by targeting voters of color."

[SOURCE: CNN]

National Black Voter Day is National Urban League's Answer to Voter Suppression

Marc H. Morial 
President and CEO
National Urban League
 

“Too many people struggled, suffered and died to make it possible for every American to exercise their right to vote. And we have come too far together to ever turn back. So we must not be silent. We must stand up, speak up and speak out. We must march to the polls like never before. We must come together and exercise our sacred right.” – Congressman John Lewis

In April of 2019, the Associated Press released an analysis of census data and exit polling that reached a remarkable conclusion: the Black voter turnout rate in the 2012 presidential election exceeded the white rate for the first time in history.  A census report in May confirmed the AP’s findings.

Some researchers disputed the findings, contending that the milestone actually had occurred in 2008.

The Supreme Court’s 2013 decision in Shelby v Holder slammed the brakes on nearly five decades of progress on narrowing the gap between white and Black voter participation rates. By eliminating a requirement that the federal government approve election law changes in jurisdictions with a history of racial discrimination, Shelby unleashed a deluge of restricting voting laws throughout the United States. 

National Black Voter Day is our answer to voter suppression. It’s our answer to misinformation campaigns. It’s our answer to efforts to stoke racial division and diminish the voices of Black and brown Americans.

The National Urban League, in partnership with BET and other advocacy groups, designated September 18 National Black Voter day as part of our voter engagement and education campaign, #ReclaimYourVote.

We chose September 18 was because it is the first day for early in-person voting in the country. Although “Election Day” is more than six weeks away, voting has already begun. Thousands of North Carolinians have already returned their absentee ballots.

We’re asking Black Americans to make a plan. Will you vote in person, or by mail? If your state allows early in-person voting, what day will you vote? Where is your polling place? If you plan to vote by mail, what are the rules in your state? Do you need a witness when you sign your ballot, like the voters in North Carolina, opportunity to get voters registered, demystify the voting process, provide guidance on voting rights restoration for eligible voters, and help voters create their voting plan to plot a clear path to the ballot box.

We’ve broken the process down into five steps:

• Step 1: Register to Vote
• By federal law, no state can set its voter registration deadline any earlier than 30 days before Election Day. That means the earliest deadlines this year are October 5 – which is right around the corner.
• Step 2: Check Your Voting Options
• From in-person early voting to no-excuse voting by mail, voters in most states have more options in 2020 than in years past. 
• Step 3: Find Your Polling Location
• The coronavirus pandemic has led many jurisdictions to consolidate polling locations. Voters shouldn’t assume they’ll be able to vote where they’ve voted in the past.  
• Step 4: Know The Candidates and Issues
• Our vote is a powerful tool for effecting change, but only if we use it in an informed way. 
• Step 5: VOTE, VOTE, VOTE!

Between the time of the Shelby v. Holder decision and the 2016 presidential election, 9 out of the 15 jurisdictions previously covered by Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act had new restrictions in place.  Texas announced within 24 hours of the decision that it would implement a strict photo ID law, and  Mississippi and Alabama, began to enforce photo ID laws that had previously been barred because of federal preclearance.

Black voter turnout fell from more than 67% in 2012 – more than 5 points above the white rate --  to just over 51% in 2016 – almost 4 points below the white rate.

We will not be defeated. The National Urban League continues to advocate for the restoration of the Voting Rights Act, and is committed to safeguarding the right of every American to fully participate in our democracy and civic processes.

Commenting on efforts to suppress the Black vote, the late Congressman John Lewis said, “I've seen this before. I've lived this before.”  Prior to the Voting Rights Act, he said,  “People stood in unmovable lines. They had to pass a so-called literacy test, pay a poll tax. On one occasion, a man was asked to count the number of bubbles in a bar of soap. On another occasion, one was asked to count the jelly beans in a jar—all to keep them from casting their ballots.

“Brothers and sisters, do you want to go back? Or do you want to keep America moving forward?”

Deidre Annette Reid Is Missing

PAGELAND, S.C.- Officers are asking the public’s help in finding a woman missing from Pageland, S.C.

Deidre Annette Reid was last seen off East Turner Street in Pageland on Sept. 3. Reid is a 41-year-old Black woman last seen wearing gray sweatpants, a light pink and white shirt, white Air Force One shoes, and she had her hair in a ponytail.

Her family last heard from her Sept. 3 and she was headed to the Greyhound station in Charlotte, N.C.

Reid was driving a gray, 2004 Chevy Tahoe with the South Carolina license plate number FXU718. The car had a New York Giants tag on the front.

Anyone with information is asked to call the Pageland Police Department at 843-672-6437.

Zhaavier Reeves Is Missing!

DOUGLAS COUNTY, Ga. - Deputies need your help finding a Douglas County woman who has been missing for days.

Officials say Zhaavier Reeves was last seen by her family on Sept. 6 in Douglas County.

Reeves is described as being 5-feet-4-inches tall with a weight of around 130 lbs. She has brown eyes and red dreadlocks.

The missing woman was last seen wearing a white shirt and black pants.

If you have any information that could help find Reeves, please call the Douglas County Sheriffs Office at 678-486-1307.

BET LAUNCHES BET STUDIOS

BET, a unit of ViacomCBS (NASDAQ: VIAC; VIACA), today launched BET Studios, an unprecedented studio venture that offers equity ownership for Black content creators. Propelled by the infrastructure and financing of BET and ViacomCBS, BET Studios will create premium television series and films for an array of internal buyers, including Paramount+, SHOWTIME, CBS, Nickelodeon, BET+ and BET, in addition to select third-party platforms that seek best-in-class content from both leading and rising Black creatives. BET Studios will launch with principal partners Kenya Barris, Rashida Jones and Aaron Rahsaan Thomas.

“The demand for premium content from Black creators has accelerated dramatically as a result of both the rapidly changing media and social landscapes.  BET, with our 40-year legacy of celebrating Black culture, and the full power of the ViacomCBS ecosystem—is uniquely positioned to service this demand,” said BET President Scott Mills. “As a company with its origin in Black entrepreneurship, we are incredibly excited to create the first major studio to provide Black creators with ownership, creative freedom and the unparalleled partnership and support of BET. I am thrilled to have Aisha at the helm of this venture, and I look forward to our collaboration with our amazing creative partners in BET Studios.”

“BET Studios is an exciting and novel extension of the storied BET brand, and we have a structure well-suited to our times to bring top talent into this production company with real ownership,” said David Nevins, Chief Content Officer, Scripted Originals, Paramount+ & Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Showtime Networks Inc. “Scott Mills deserves tremendous credit for driving this innovative new business from idea to reality – and Kenya, Rashida and Aaron, could not be a more talented or in-demand group to lead this venture along with Aisha Summers.”

“The investment being made by Scott, David Nevins, Bob Bakish and the ViacomCBS team into BET Studios is not only an investment in Black storytelling, it is also an investment in the culture,” said Barris. “And while individual success is great, being able to amplify and champion underrepresented storytellers has been equally exciting and this venture allows that to continue to be a key focus in this next chapter of my career.”

“There is such power in the creative talent that the principal partners bring to the table and BET Studios’ unique ability to tell Black stories at scale,” said Jones. “This joining of forces is super exciting for me in the multitude of ways that people of color see themselves represented on screen.”

“As a new venture, BET Studios offers an opportunity to expand the brand’s legacy of delivering Black stories,” said Thomas. “This is a chance to bring nuanced, layered narratives to life, partnering with a forward-thinking team, interested in surprising and engaging the audience.”

BET Studios will be headed by Aisha Summers Burke, who was recently appointed Executive Vice-President and General Manager of the new venture. In this role, Burke will be responsible for working collaboratively with the Studio’s formidable creative partners and key internal constituencies.  Along with overseeing the day-to-day creative affairs for the company, she will also be responsible for the BET Studios content slate and focusing on growing the Studio’s production output across both internal and external platforms. Burke will report to BET President Scott Mills.

“BET has long been celebrated for excellence in producing quality programming that authentically depicts experiences lived within the Black community,” said Summers Burke.

“With the launch of BET Studios, we are excited to introduce a new model that opens the aperture to a broad array of platforms and supports the full range of content from Black creators.’ This entrepreneurial environment offers creatives the opportunity to produce diverse high-end content reflecting all aspects of entertainment.”

Prior to joining BET, Burke spent thirteen years at Warner Bros. Television, most recently serving as Vice-President of scripted television for the cable and streaming division of Warner Horizon before it merged with Warner Bros. TV in 2020.