The Greenlining Institute Responds to SCOTUS Ruling on Voting Rights Act
Media Contact
Danielle Bell
Associate Director of Narrative Strategy
media@greenlining.org danielle.bell@greenlining.orgThe Supreme Court of the United States’ 6-3 ruling to gut the Voting Rights Act – the law that made it possible for many Black Americans to vote – is a dangerous retreat from the democratic principles SCOTUS is responsible for protecting.
This decision does not exist in a vacuum. It is the result of a years-long, coordinated effort to reshape the judiciary and systematically chip away at the pillars of American democracy in order to consolidate power. These efforts have consistently targeted the rights of communities of color – and Black voters specifically – making it harder for us to participate fully in our political system and leaving us susceptible to disinvestment and redlining.
While this moment is deeply alarming, it is not surprising. At The Greenlining Institute, we have worked at the intersections of racial, economic, and climate equity for decades. In building a multiracial equity movement, we have witnessed a sustained push at the federal level to erode democratic safeguards in ways that disproportionately benefit the wealthy and powerful while excluding the very communities democracy is meant to serve.
Voting rights are inseparable from racial justice. Though democracy is not just what happens at the ballot box, we reject any efforts to marginalize or disempower communities of color from expressing their constitutional right to vote. When communities of color are denied fair access to the ballot, they are also denied a meaningful say in the policies and investments that impact their lives. At Greenlining, we’re building lasting community power so communities of color cannot be sidelined, but instead are the drivers of decisions around governance, investment, and representation.
We won’t stop fighting for access and power for our communities, at the ballot box and beyond.
This moment demands urgency, accountability, and collective action. We will continue to stand alongside our partners and communities in the fight to protect our democracy and ensure it works for everyone — not just a select few.
