We are not going back: Black Voters Matter!
Last week, I was infuriated watching the full-frontal assault on our democracy through the gutting of the Voting Rights Act of 1965. We cannot downplay the seriousness of this moment, nor can we afford to sit out this election. We are living through a critical time in American history where fear and complacency cannot be allowed to win.
I will be honest: it feels grim. I have experienced moments of both rage and despair as I watch the legacy of Black civil rights leaders — Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Medgar Evers, John Lewis, Fannie Lou Hamer and countless unnamed organizers and freedom fighters — be steadily dismantled before our eyes. These leaders marched, bled, and in many cases died to secure the fundamental right to vote for Black Americans and other marginalized communities.
Many people are asking: How did this happen? And how did it happen so quickly?
The truth is, this did not happen overnight. Conservative legal activists and Republican strategists have been playing a long and deliberate game for decades to weaken and dismantle the Voting Rights Act. (Wegman, 2026) Since the 1980s, efforts were underway to strip the law of its enforcement power through what can only be described as strategic and surgical precision. Reports have documented how Chief Justice John Roberts, while serving in the Reagan administration, worked to challenge and weaken voting rights protections long before the Supreme Court’s devastating Shelby County v. Holder decision in 2013 (Berman, 2015).
That decision effectively gutted key provisions of the Voting Rights Act by removing federal oversight protections for states with histories of racial discrimination in voting (Wegman, 2026). In the years since, we have witnessed swift and aggressive voter suppression laws, racial gerrymandering, polling place closures, attacks on mail voting, and coordinated efforts to dilute Black political representation across the South.
As soon as the Supreme Court gave the nefarious green light, white elected leaders in Southern States- which include Tennessee, Louisiana, Alabama, and South Carolina did not hesitate to convene a special session ready to use their political power to redraw electoral maps into law and drown out Black voting power and silence communities demanding equal representation.
Seeing images of young Black leaders like Tennessee State Representative Justin J. Pearson being roughly escorted by police while his brother was arrested and targeted by state power is both chilling and painful (Patton & Copeland, 2026), especially as a Black woman witnessing history repeat itself in new forms. Adding insult to injury, (elected) Tennessean and white supremacist House Speaker Cameron Sexton (R) removed Democratic lawmakers from House committees (Rivas, 2026), including Representative Pearson, sharing the formal letter on Facebook. What is perhaps most disturbing is that today’s white supremacists no longer hide behind white hoods. They sit openly in state capitols, wear blue suits and red MAGA hats, and use the language of “election integrity” to disguise efforts to undermine Black and Brown political power. Their goal has always been clear: to chip away at our multicultural democracy and roll back the gains of the Civil Rights Movement. But I believe fighting for truth and justice in our democracy will set us All free. Heather McGhee powerfully reminds us:
“America has lied to her white children for centuries, offering them songs about freedom instead of the liberation of truth.” (The Sum of Us, McGee)
And yet, despite the despair, the fight is not over.
I continue to draw inspiration from Black women leaders like Shirley Chisholm — unbought and unbossed — whose courage reminds us that our voices matter and that democracy requires participation, resistance, and collective action. As Shirley Chisholm once said:
“I have already moved away from being a moderate, a liberal. My frustrations at trying to operate through channels and following the prescribed procedures, and failing to get any action, have radicalized me.” (Good Reads)
This moment calls on all of us to rise together to defend democracy, protect voting rights, and reject the hate and extremism threatening our communities. It also calls on us to challenge the complacency that enables these attacks to continue.
Our voices must be heard.
San Mateo County Ballots have been mailed and are due JUNE 2, 2026!
If you have questions about registering to vote, voting by mail, voting in person, or election deadlines, please contact the San Mateo County Elections Office for resources and assistance.
We must commit ourselves — now more than ever — to protecting the right to vote and ensuring that future generations inherit a democracy that is more just, inclusive, and equitable than the one we were given.
Lastly, the fight for freedom has never been easy. But history has shown us that when ordinary people organize, mobilize, and refuse to be silent, change is inevitable. That is why I am running for local office.
#BlackLivesMatter #BlackVoicesMatter #BlackVotersMatter #YourVoteMatters
In Solidarity,
Ashley Budelli
Daly Citian
Candidate for Daly City Council
