A forum examining voting rights, racism and the political climate facing Black Americans will be held later this month in Montclair.
The event, titled “The Attack On Voting Rights And The War On Black People,” is scheduled for Friday, May 29, at 7 p.m. at St. Paul Baptist Church.
People’s Organization for Progress, a grassroots organization focused on racial, social and economic justice and peace, is sponsoring the forum.
“We are having this forum because we felt it was important to have a dialogue about what is happening to Black people in the United States at this particular moment in history,” said Lawrence Hamm, founder and chairman of the organization.
Hamm said organizers decided to hold the forum following the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling in the Louisiana v. Callais case.
“We decided to have this forum after the U.S. Supreme Court announced its decision in the Louisiana v. Callais case. That ruling effectively killed the 1965 Voting Rights Act,” said Hamm, who has lived in Montclair for more than 35 years.
“That was one of the worst U.S. Supreme Court decisions since the ruling in the Dred Scott case of 1857 which said that black people had no rights that white people were bound to respect,” he said.
Hamm said the court’s decision allows state legislatures to redraw congressional districts in ways that could reduce Black representation in Congress.
“These states, most of which are part of the old Confederacy, have already redrawn their maps or are in the process of doing so. Ultimately, their efforts could result in the loss of as many as 19 congressional seats now held by African Americans,” he said.
“It could possibly leave the South, where the majority of African Americans still live, with little or no Black congressional representation,” he said.
Hamm said the forum will also address broader concerns about the political, economic and social climate affecting Black communities.
“The racist and fascist vitriol of President Trump, reactionary policies coming from the White House, the right wing decisions of the Supreme Court, failure of Congress to uphold the Constitution and stand up for equality and democracy makes it feel like we are being attacked from all sides,” Hamm said.
He also cited concerns about voting rights, racism and violence against Black Americans, declining enrollment of Black students at colleges and universities following the Supreme Court’s decision ending affirmative action in higher education, and rising Black unemployment.
“It feels like we are being dragged back to the nightmare of Jim Crow segregation. We feel under siege. We feel like there is a war on the black community,” he said.
The program will include a panel discussion featuring community leaders and activists, followed by audience participation.
“We are having this program not just to talk about the problems but also to discuss solutions and plans of action,” Hamm said.
For more information, contact the People’s Organization For Progress at 973-801-0001.
