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- Strengthening Democracy & Voting Rights
Florida Vote Your Voice grantees excite, educate, mobilize voters of all ages
Sheila McCants was director of the federal TRIO program for young people from disadvantaged backgrounds at a Tampa, Florida, community college in late 2023 when she experienced a light-bulb moment on voter education. She was speaking with an 18-year-old college student her staff had registered to vote. He later told her assistant that he probably…
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- Dismantling White Supremacy
Letter to urge Senate to vote no on confirmation of Paul Ingrassia to lead the Office of Special Counsel
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- Dismantling White Supremacy
Matt Shea and the growing religious extremism in the Pacific Northwest
Hard-right extremist Matt Shea has been increasingly active in the Christian supremacist movement, including attending an anti-trans event in Seattle on May 27 sponsored by Don’t Mess With Our Kids (DMOK), at which more than 20 attendees were arrested. Listed as an antigovernment group by the Southern Poverty Law Center, DMOK is run by leaders…
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- Dismantling White Supremacy
Nine lessons for fighting authoritarianism using art in an age of resistance
It’s no surprise that President Donald Trump’s administration is defunding artists and their capacity to produce art while targeting cultural institutions. Authoritarians have always tried to control the creative community and ruthlessly stamp out art contrary to their ideology. The symbolism of a culture the administration disdains, combined with the power of art to penetrate…
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- Dismantling White Supremacy
Proud Boys sue DOJ: Will taxpayers be forced to pay millions to extremists?
In June, members of the Proud Boys filed a $100 million lawsuit against the Department of Justice (DOJ), claiming the government violated their constitutional rights when it prosecuted them for their involvement in the events of Jan. 6, 2021, at the U.S. Capitol. Despite what some experts say are dubious legal grounds, the case appears…
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- Strengthening Democracy & Voting Rights
Inadequate federal election funding endangers voters and our democracy
This week, a U.S. House subcommittee with a wonky name — Financial Services and General Government (FSGG) — will consider a funding bill with significant implications for the health of our democracy. The FSGG bill is the smallest of the 12 funding bills that must pass every year to fund the federal government. It often…
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- Dismantling White Supremacy
Advocates hope LFJ podcast relaunch will disrupt ‘hard history’ continuum
The Southern Poverty Law Center’s Learning for Justice (LFJ) program is relaunching the Teaching Hard History podcast series — with host Hasan Kwame Jeffries — to resist current efforts aimed at altering our nation’s history. So, just what is hard history? In the short TEDx video “Confronting Hard History,” Jeffries explains: “[American slavery is] hard history because it’s difficult to…
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- Eliminating Poverty and Economic Inequality
SPLC report: Medicaid expansion can rectify harm to Black people in Deep South
For decades, Tina Payne’s hands moved with mechanical precision, operating machinery in a catfish processing plant in the Mississippi Delta. The grueling labor took a lasting toll on Payne’s body, leaving her with multiple injuries that eventually led to her disability. When Payne applied for Medicaid, she expected the system she had paid into for…
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- Dismantling White Supremacy
Naples, Florida, Pride event succeeds despite persistent hate group opposition
Content warning: This article contains an image depicting anti-LGBTQ+ violence. Reader discretion is advised. Naples Pride held its annual community event at Cambier Park in Naples, Florida, on June 7, attracting thousands of attendees despite a years-long opposition campaign by hard-right groups and local government. Naples Pride overcame a last-minute legal challenge from the city…
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- Dismantling White Supremacy
Echoing the Past: White supremacy, the policing of drag and Black resilience
The policing of gender has become a common tactic among some policymakers, whether it’s banning trans people in sports, legislation regulating bathroom usage or the targeting of drag performances. Such attacks can echo the past. The targeting of drag performances is no exception — especially when one considers drag’s history within the Black community. Drag,…
