ForImmediateRelease
May12,2017
Contact:LorettaKane([email protected])
Black women denounce new ‘Voting Commission’
Statement from In Our Own Voice
WASHINGTON,D.C.—Yesterday,theWhiteHouseannouncedthecreationofacommission
toinvestigatevoterfraud,spurredbyTrump’sunfoundedclaimsofvotingirregularities
duringthe2016elections.MarcelaHowell,founderandexecutivedirectorofInOurOwn
Voice:NationalBlackWomen’sReproductiveJusticeAgenda,issuedthefollowing
statement:
“Thepresidenthasestablishedacommissiontoinvestigatehisowntrumpedofchargesof
voterfraud.Hehasappointedaknownandprovenenemyofvoterrights,KansasSecretary
ofStateKobach,who—despitehisallegationsofwidespreadvotingbynoncitizens—has
onlyprosecutedasmallnumberofcasesinhisownstate,toheadthiseffort.
“Makenomistakethatthiscommissionisjustanotherstepinthisadministration’svoter
suppressionmachine.VoterfraudisnottheproblemwithU.S.elections;thewholesale
disenfranchisementofvotersiswhatthreatensourdemocracy.Trumpandhiscohortsare
pullingoutallthestopstopreventpeopleofcolor—especiallyBlackpeople—from
exercisingourrighttovote.
“Gerrymandering,unfairvoterIDlawsandintimidationatthepolls,areamongthetactics
beingusedtopreventvotersofcolor—U.S.citizens—fromcastingourvotes.Thisnew
commissionisanotherTrumpsideshowmeanttodistractusfromtherealthreatstoour
democracy—thetrulyillegalactsperpetratedagainstvotersbyourowngovernment.
“Wedidn’tmarchanddiefightingforourrighttovotein60sonlytohavethatrightdenied
usbyapresidentwhodidn’tevenwinthepopularvote.WewillnotacceptthisnewJim
Crowera—fueledbytheracist,sexistandxenophobicrhetoricofTrump’scampaignand
nowbyhispolicies.
“Wecallonelectedofficialstostoptheassaultonvotingrightsandweencouragevoters
acrossthecountrytouniteinresistancebyholdingtheirelectedrepresentatives
accountableand,mostofall,byvoting.”
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InOurOwnVoice:NationalBlackWomen’sReproductiveJusticeAgendaisanational
reproductivejusticeorganizationfocusedonliftingupthevoicesofBlackwomenatthe
nationalandregionallevelsinourongoingpolicyfighttosecurereproductivejusticeforall
womenandgirls.Oursevenstrategicpartnersinclude:BlackWomenforWellness,Black
Women’sHealthImperative,NewVoicesforReproductiveJustice,SisterLove,Inc.SisterReach,
SPARKReproductiveJusticeNOW,AltheaCenterandWomenWithAVision.