Congressional Black Caucus Condemns Roe vs Wade Reversal

The Congressional Black Caucus released the following statement on the Supreme Court overturning Roe vs Wade:

“The hands of time have once again been turned back. The extreme right-wing Supreme Court majority’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, the law of the land for 49 years that gave a woman the right to choose, will have far-reaching and painful consequences. Moreover, in the midst of a Black maternal mortality crisis, restricting access to abortion care will disproportionately endanger the lives of Black Americans,” said Congressional Black Caucus Chairwoman Joyce Beatty. “Let me be very clear: government-mandated pregnancy is not pro-life, it is pro-policing of women’s bodies. In response to this unacceptable decision, I, along with members of the Congressional Black Caucus, are co-leading a letter to President Biden urging him to swiftly declare this unprecedented attack on abortion rights and access as the public health the national emergency that it is. We have seen what life was like pre-Roe v. Wade, and America cannot afford to go back.”

NAACP statement on the Supreme Court's overturning of Roe vs Wade

The NAACP released the following statement on the Supreme Court overturning Roe vs Wade:

"Today's Supreme Court decision marks a significant regression of our country," said NAACP General Counsel Janette McCarthy Wallace. "As a legal professional, I am horrified by this decision. As a Black woman, I am outraged to my core. The deciding Justices have ignored fundamental civil rights guaranteed by our Constitution and years of judicial precedent to advance a politically partisan agenda. There is no denying the fact that this is a direct attack on all women, and Black women stand to be disproportionately impacted by the court's egregious assault on basic human rights. We must all stand up to have our voices heard in order to protect our nation from the further degradation of civil rights protections we have worked so hard to secure."

"It is evidently clear at this time that the future of our democracy hangs in the balance. This Supreme Court is turning back the clock to a dangerous era where basic constitutional rights only exist for a select few. They've stripped away our right to vote, and now women have lost their right to their own body. What's next?" said Portia White, Vice President of Policy and Legislative Affairs. "We cannot allow our future to rest in the hands of those determined to crush every bit of it. We need to fight back. Just this week, the NAACP and Vote.org formed an alliance to register and mobilize voters in what will be the most critical midterm election America has ever faced. If you're not registered to vote, or know someone who isn't, now is the moment. This is no time for anyone to sit on the sidelines."

Rep. Maxine Waters statement on the overturning of Roe vs Wade

Rep. Maxine Waters released the following statement on the Supreme Court overturning Roe vs Wade:

Today, I stand in solidarity with the 36 MILLION women being stripped of their right to decide what is best for themselves. We WILL keep fighting!

This is only the beginning of an extreme Republican agenda to take away our personal freedoms, from abortion to contraception, to marriage equality to personal safety.

As a Member of Congress, I'm proud to have voted to protect abortion access. Today's SCOTUS decision makes it even more clear: we need federal protections for reproductive health. I am committed to continuing this FIGHT: in Congress, in the streets, and at the Ballot Box!

Vote.org and NAACP Announce Partnership to Mobilize Black Voters Across the Country Ahead of 2022 Midterms

The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) and Vote.org announced a partnership to mobilize, register and turn out Black voters ahead of the 2022 midterm elections.

This effort launches amid a historic resurgence in voter suppression. According to Vote.org, voter suppression laws have passed in 19 states across the country since the 2020 election. These laws will impact as many as 24 million voters of color. Political data analysts at TargetSmart found that from November 2020 through July 2021, more than 8.6 million voters were purged from official registration lists nationwide, with 63 counties disproportionately purging people of color in the months following the 2020 general election.

“Instead of celebrating 2020’s historic voter turnout, state lawmakers have spent the past two years passing laws to prevent young people and communities of color from casting their ballots,“ said Vote.org CEO Andrea Hailey. Our democracy is stronger when everyone can vote. Vote.org is proud to work with NAACP to defend voting rights and make sure that every eligible voter can make their voice heard in November and beyond.”

“The NAACP and Vote.org are partnering in this critical moment to safeguard our democracy. Our lives are being taken from us and our democracy is being stolen from us. We have been gunned-down at the grocery store and silenced at the ballot box. Now, the Supreme Court is coming for our constitutional rights as well. One thing is clear, our rights and our political power are being targeted and gutted as we speak,” said NAACP President Derrick Johnson. “At this moment, our right to defend all rights – the right to vote – hangs in the balance. If we don't organize and exercise our right to vote this November, we may very well lose our ability to participate in future elections. This is why we are partnering with Vote.org. We are partnering to defend democracy for all."

The partnership will launch this month, with Vote.org providing digital voting tools and training to the NAACP's network of over 2 million activists and leaders in all 50 states. In 2020, more than 39 million people used Vote.org’s online tools to register, verify registration, request mail ballots, find their polling location and obtain detailed information on each state’s voter requirements. NAACP members will use these tools in community voter drives, helping to simplify the voting process, lower the barriers to political participation and increase turnout among Black voters.

In addition to the 39 million people who used Vote.org’s online voting tools during the last general election, the organization helped more than 4.2 million voters register to vote and reached voters of color and young voters more than 651 million times through its GOTV program in 2020.

Kimberly S. Smith is the New President of the American Association of Blacks in Higher Education

Kimberly S. Smith, associate vice provost for student success initiatives in the Office of the Executive Vice President and Provost at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University in Blacksburg, has been elected president of the American Association of Blacks in Higher Education.

The organization, which describes itself as the “voice for Blacks in higher education,” advocates for the advancement of Black faculty, staff, and students in the academic community. “We do a lot to address issues of equity and inclusion,” Dr. Smith said, “and we’re contributing to research that helps to better understand how to help these individuals be successful.”

As president of American Association of Blacks in Higher Education, Dr. Smith wants to open opportunities to other Black people in higher education. She hopes, for instance, to launch a succession-planning initiative that elevates African American talent. “At Virginia Tech, we have a very high proportion of Black faculty and staff who are leaving,” she said. “Sometimes that is because of better opportunities, which we want people to take, but I also know that some of that is out of frustration with not feeling that they have opportunities to advance at the institution.”

More opportunities for Black leaders to job-shadow and receive mentoring will, she said, help them achieve more success. “It gives people an opportunity to contribute and to learn about someone’s job,” Dr. Smith said. “It’s just another form of mentoring, and we know the benefits of mentoring.”

Dr. Smith has been at Virginia Tech since 1991. She holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology from the University of Richmond. She earned a master’s degree in counselor education with a concentration in student affairs from Radford University in Virginia. While working as director of university studies and undergraduate advising at Virginia Tech, she earned a Ph.D. in 2009 in educational leadership and policy studies.