Carol Anderson: You Have the Power

Carol Anderson joined the Boston College community virtually for the Lowell Humanities Series to discuss her new book, One Person, No Vote: How Voter Suppression Is Destroying Our Democracy. In the book, the esteemed professor of African American Studies at Emory University details the efforts by state legislatures to curtail voting rights and the disproportionate effect it has on marginalized communities. Anderson notes this form of suppression—from photo ID requirements to poll closures and gerrymandering—especially accelerated in the aftermath of the 2013 Shelby decision that undermined critical sections of the Voting Rights Act.

Speaking about the history of African Americans earning the right to vote and freedom from Jim Crow laws, she also noted the intersection of voting discrimination with other forms of socioeconomic discrimination, especially in the South.

Professor Anderson left the audience with a more optimistic note, honing in on their power through activism and voice to make a change. She encouraged the audience to exercise their voting power to reverse the suppression taking place, and emphasized the importance of organizing and grassroots mobilization to counter the forces that seek to curtail voting rights. “You’ve got more power than you think—exercise that power!” she said.

Roshan Taroll ’21, Winston Ambassador  

Read Heights article “Anderson Talks Voter Suppression And Democratic Engagement”

Presented with Lowell Humanities Series.