They Fought for the Voting Rights Act. Now They’re Fighting Its Unraveling.

“Here we are today. Back at this bridge. When I was a little girl, Dr. King said to us, ‘Children, when I ask you, what do you want, I want you to say freedom.’ And here we are, 61 years later.” 70-year-old Sheyann Webb-Christburg fears progress is being undone in Alabama as the state’s Republican-led Legislature races to redraw the state’s voting map before the midterm elections. Last month, the Supreme Court struck down a key Voting Rights Act protection for minority voters. Now, the extent of that ruling is being tested. After a federal court ruled that the state’s redrawn map discriminates against Black people, Alabama has appealed to the Supreme Court to allow the state to use it. Sheyann says the effort reignites memories of a darker past. “Many people, if they registered to vote back in the 60s, their lives was threatened.” At 8 years old, she witnessed it firsthand. “What happened here on Bloody Sunday?” “As we made our way across this bridge, I’ll never forget seeing the policemen with tear gas. People had begun to be beaten, just trampling over people as if they weren’t human beings. And the picture of Bloody Sunday has never left my heart.” Since the Supreme Court ruling, Republican leaders have moved quickly to break up majority Black districts across the South, including here in Alabama. These two Democratic districts were created to allow Black voters the opportunity to elect a candidate of their choice. But with five months before the midterms, conservatives across the South argue race should not be a factor in the creation of voter districts. “You cannot say that we are all created equal, and that states must treat everyone equal under the law, and then allow a law to sort people based upon race.” “I’m looking forward to the day when Alabama gets a 7-0 congressional representation. It’s consistent with who we are as a very conservative state.” “A reminder that justice matters. Truth matters. Democracy matters because biblical justice protects those who are vulnerable.” In Montgomery, a history of disenfranchisement leaves Alabama’s heavily Democratic Black population fearing their district and their voices will be erased. “Not happy with what’s being done in the statehouse.” “Yeah.” “I feel like I’ve reached the top of the stairs and someone just — and pushed me.” “Yeah, yeah, yeah.” “And pushed my children.” “What would losing representation mean to people in this district?” “There are people who don’t have running water and who have live sewage in their front yards. And it was not until representation was present that those neighbors were actually able to be served. If you have no one at the table who is representing your interest and who is concerned about you, then you know you that you will not be represented, and the result.” Beyond representation, activists like Anneshia Hardy worry this redistricting battle will cause voters to lose faith in the democratic process. “Folks are like, ‘Are elections still happening? Will it even matter if we go and vote?’ So when you cause that type of confusion, oftentimes it results in disengagement. And that does not just hurt Black folks. That hurts us all.” Crowd: “We’re not going back.” The New York Times reached out to Alabama’s Republican leadership, but they did not acknowledge our interview requests. “Ain’t no power like the power of the people cause the power of the people don’t stop.” It remains unclear which maps will be used in the midterm elections. Until then, advocates are organizing rallies to register their protest. “As a Black woman in this country, just about every right that I have is some type of law that can be overturned. And in my lifetime, I’m actively watching those efforts happen. Even as they dilute the power, we need folks to go and vote. We need folks to continue to show up even more.” In silent defiance, Sheyann marched in Selma again. “Much blood, sweat, and tears were shed in an effort for African Americans to gain their right to vote. We got to fight for them. Even though they are no longer with us, in my mind, they are counting on us.”