THE STATE ENACTED THOSE
RESTRICTIONS WITH THE PURPOSE OF
DENYING OR ABRIDGING THE RIGHT
TO VOTE ON ACCOUNT OF RACE OR
COLOR.
THIS LAWSUIT IS THE FIRST OF
MANY STEPS WE ARE TAKING TO
ENSURE THAT ALL ELIGIBLE VOTERS
CAN CAST A VOTE, THAT ALL LAWFUL
VOTES ARE COUNTED, AND THAT
EVERY VOTER HAS ACCESS TO
ACCURATE INFORMATION.
>> ALL RIGHT.
THE ATTORNEY GENERAL KIND OF
SEEMED TO BE CHANNELLING PASTOR
CHOY THERE DECLARING THE GEORGIA
BUMP WHAT THEY SAY AFTER SENATE
REPUBLICANS FILIBUSTERED THE FOR
THE PEOPLE ACT THIS WEEK.
DEMOCRATS BETTER FIND A PLAN B
FAST WITH STATES PUSHING EVEN
MORE DRACONIAN RESTRICTIONS LIKE
THE TEXAS SENATE BILL 7, WHICH
WILL COME BACK FROM THE DEAD IN
A SPECIAL SESSION ON JULY 8th.
JOINING ME NOW CO-FOUNDER AND
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR ON BLACK
VOTES MATTER, AND PRESIDENT AND
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF ROCK THE
VOTE.
CLIFF, I GOT TO SAY, THIS
LAWSUIT FROM MERRICK GARLAND
FLANKED BY KRISTEN CLARK.
I LOVE TO SEE IT, IT GAVE ME
HOPE, IT GAVE ME THE ENERGY TO
FIGHT THIS BATTLE.
WHERE ARE YOU ON THIS, WHERE IS
BLACK VOTERS ON THIS, AND WHAT
DOES THE BATTLE LOOK LIKE AHEAD?
>> YEAH, THANKS, TIFFANY.
NO, IT WAS GOOD TO SEE KRISTEN
CLARK STANDING THERE.
IT WAS GOOD TO SEE VENITA GUPTA
STANDING THERE.
REPRESENTATION MATTERS,
ELECTIONS HAVE CONSEQUENCES, AND
THOSE TWO APPOINTMENTS HAVING
NOT JUST TWO WOMEN OF COLOR BUT
TWO CIVIL RIGHTS ATTORNEYS TO BE
IN HIGH POSITIONS WITHIN THAT
JUSTICE DEPARTMENT, MEANS A LOT.
THIS IS IMPORTANT STUFF.
WE OF COURSE AND MANY OTHER
ORGANIZATIONS FILED SUIT AGAINST
GEORGIA AS SOON AS BRIAN KEMP
SIGNED IT.
THE INK WASNT EVEN DRY WHEN WE
FILED OUR LAWSUIT, AND WEVE
BEEN WAITING FOR THE JUSTICE
DEPARTMENT TO DO SOMETHING
SIMILAR OR TO JOIN IN ON SOME OF
THESE BRIEFS.
IT TOOK A LITTLE WHILE PARTIALLY
BECAUSE THIS IS THE VERY REASON
WHY REPUBLICANS ATTACK THOSE
NOMINATIONS.
THEY KNEW WHAT WOULD HAPPEN IF
THOSE NOMINATIONS, THOSE HIGH
APPOINTMENTS WITHIN THE JUSTICE
DEPARTMENT WENT THROUGH THAT YOU
WOULD SEE A JUSTICE DEPARTMENT
THAT WAS ACTUALLY TRYING TO
IMPLEMENT VOTING RIGHTS JUSTICE
INSTEAD OF STANDING AWAY AND
SUPPORTING VOTER SUPPRESSION.
SO THIS IS DEFINITELY A STEP IN
THE RIGHT DIRECTION.
WERE HOPING TO SEE MORE OF IT,
NOT JUST FROM THE JUSTICE
DEPARTMENT BUT FROM OTHER
ASPECTS OF THE BIDEN
ADMINISTRATION INCLUDING THE
PRESIDENT HIMSELF.
>> YEAH.
I THINK THATS WHAT THE PEOPLE
WANT TO SEE, PEOPLE THROW
KNUCKLES.
KRISTEN CLARK WAS WITH THE
LAWYERS COMMITTEE FOR CIVIL
RIGHTS, AND VANITA GUPTA WAS
WITH THE LEADERSHIP CONFERENCE.
SO TWO AMAZING WOMEN THERE.
LET ME ASK YOU BECAUSE, LOOK, I
DONT KNOW IF THIS BATTLE CAN BE
WON IN THE COURTS.
I THINK IT IS SOMETHING TO GIVE
PEOPLE SOMETHING TO HOLD ONTO
AND FIGHT.
BUT WHAT ARE SOME OUTSIDE THE
BOX IDEAS AND APPROACHES TO
ENSURING THAT PEOPLE HAVE A
CLEAR, FAIR PATH TO THE BALLOT
BOX.
I THINK YOURE UNIQUELY
POSITIONED TO TALK ABOUT THAT.
>> YEAH, ABSOLUTELY.
THANKS SO MUCH FOR HAVING ME,
TIFFANY.
I THINK THE REALITY IS, LIKE,
MOST VOTERS SHOWED UP IN 2020
AND WENT ON AND RESUMED ABOUT
THEIR LIVES.
THEY DONT KNOW THIS IS
HAPPENING.
THEY DONT KNOW THAT THE DIRECT
ASSAULT ON THEIR FREEDOM TO VOTE
IS HAPPENING.
AND SO WE NEED TO RAISE
AWARENESS ABOUT THIS AND POINT
TOWARD THE PATH OF THIS FEDERAL
LEGISLATION FOR THE PEOPLE ACT
AND THE JOHN LEWIS VOTING RIGHTS
ADVANCEMENT ACT AND PUT PRESSURE
ON SENATORS TO PASS THESE LAWS.
>> SO, CLIFF, ITS INTERESTING
TO ME THAT STACEY ABRAMS IS THE
LATEST BOOGEYMAN FOR THE
REPUBLICANS AND THE FACE THAT
SOME REPUBLICANS HAVE MADE.
I WANT YOU TO TAKE A LISTEN TO
THE GEORGIA ATTORNEY GENERAL
TALK ABOUT THIS LAWSUIT ON FOX
NEWS.
ILL GET YOUR REACTION ON THE
OTHER SIDE.
>> AND THIS IS, AGAIN, ITS A
BLATANTLY POLITICAL LAWSUIT.
THIS JUSTICE DEPARTMENT, AND IM
GOING TO QUOTE WHAT GOVERNOR
BRIAN KEMP SAID.
THE WEAPONIZATION OF THE
DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE SHOULD
BOTHER EVERYBODY.
IT HAS NOW BEEN WEAPONIZED BY A
GROUP OF POLITICAL ACTIVISTS WHO
DONT LIKE WHAT OUR STATE HAS
DONE.
>> OH, WE DONT LIKE WEAPONIZING
THE DOJ NOW.
THIS IS AFTER BILL BARR ACTED AS
DONALD TRUMPS PERSONAL
ATTORNEY.
BUT NOW WERE WEAPONIZING THE
DOJ.
HOW INTERESTING.
WHATS THE ROLL HERE OF THE DOJ?
LIKE, CAN THE DOJ KIND OF END
THIS FIGHT WITH VOTING RIGHTS,
OR IS IT GOING TO RELY ON THE
COURTS, IS IT GOING TO RELY ON
ORGANIZATIONS LIKE YOURS, QUITE
FRANKLY?
>> YEAH.
AT THE END OF THE DAY ITS GOING
TO TAKE A COMBINATION OF THOSE
STRATEGIES.
WE DID A PRESS CONFERENCE JUST
LAST NIGHT AT THE SUPREME COURT
BECAUSE YESTERDAY WAS ACTUALLY
THE EIGHTH ANNIVERSARY OF THE
SHELBY VERSUS HOLZER DECISION, A
DECISION WHICH IN MANY WAYS
OPENED UP THE FLOOD GATES TO A
LOT OF THE VOTER SUPPRESSION
WEVE SEEN IN RECENT YEARS.
SO ITS GOING TO TAKE A
COMBINATION OF STRATEGIES.
YES, THE DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE
CAN PLAY A ROLE.
BUT AT THE END OF THE DAY WERE
GOING TO HAVE TO CONTINUE TO DO
WHAT WE HAVE TO DO IN THE
STREETS, AT PROTESTS, AT THE
CAPITOL TODAY AT 12:00 IN D.C.
AS PART OF FREEDOM RIDE AS WE
CONTINUE TO DO WHAT WE DO, WHICH
IS TO RAISE AWARENESS, EDUCATE
VOTERS AND TO GET PEOPLE MAKING
PHONE CALLS AND TEXT MESSAGES
AND PUTTING PRESSURE ON JOE
MANCHIN AND THE PRESIDENT.
WE NEED THE PRESSURE ON ALL
THREE BRANCHES OF GOVERNMENT.
BECAUSE AT THE END OF THE DAY
THATS WHAT ITS GOING TO TAKE.
A LOT OF PEOPLE THINK THAT YOU
TAKE THE MONTGOMERY EXAMPLE
WHERE YOU DO A BOYCOTT.
IT WAS ACTUALLY A SUPREME COURT
CASE THAT ACTUALLY ENDED
DESEGREGATION.
BUT WITHOUT THE MASS
MOBILIZATION OF THE BOYCOTT, IT
PROBABLY WOULDNT HAVE HAPPENED.
SO ITS ALWAYS TAKING A
COMBINATION OF LITIGATION, OF
ADVOCACY, OF POLICY AND OF MASS
MOBILIZATION.
THATS WHY IM SITTING HERE IN
D.C. TODAY ON MY WAY TO THE
CAPITOL SO THAT WE CAN HAVE A
RALLY WITH THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE
DEMANDING THE PASSAGE OF THE FOR
THE PEOPLE ACT.
>> DEMANDING THE PASSAGE OF THE
FOR THE PEOPLE ACT.
CAROL, I WANT TO ASK YOU,
BECAUSE THERES BEEN A LOT OF
FRUSTRATION AROUND VOTING
RIGHTS.
LIKE CLIFF JUST SAID, AND LIKE
YOU MADE THE POINT, NOT
EVERYBODYS PAYING ATTENTION TO
THIS BATTLE.
EVERYONE IS SAYING IF I WERE
ALIVE DURING THE CIVIL RIGHTS
MOVEMENT, THATS WHAT I WOULD
HAVE BEEN DOING.
WHATEVER YOURE DOING, THATS
WHAT YOURE DOING FOR THE CIVIL
RIGHTS MOVEMENT.
I HATE WHEN I SAY PEOPLE SAY
ITS BASED ON THE BIG LIE.
BLACK VOTERS HAVE LONG FACED
VOTER SUPPRESSION IN THIS
COUNTRY FROM. YOUR PERSPECTIVE,
CAN THE DEMOCRATS HOLD THE POWER
OF THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT IF
THESE VOTER RESTRICTION LAWS ARE
STAYING IN PLACE?
>> WELL, I THINK THE REALITY IS,
AND HERES ONE THING TO CONSIDER
THAT WE DONT TALK A LOT ABOUT
IS THIS IS MORE THAN A DIRECT
ASSAULT ON OUR DEMOCRACY.
IT IS A CALCULATED MOVE TO
SILENCE THE VOICES AND STRIP THE
CURRENT AND FUTURE POWER OF AN
INCREASINGLY DIVERSE ELECTORATE.
WE TALK ABOUT THE DIVERSITY OF
THE YOUTH GENERATION AND WE LOOK
AT 16-YEAR-OLDS SPECIFICALLY
KIND OF MAKE THAT MARK OF
MINORITY/MAJORITY.
AND SO THIS IS NOT JUST GOING TO
HAVE CONSEQUENCES RIGHT NOW IN
OUR DEMOCRACY BUT FOR THE
FUTURE.
SO THIS IS SETTING -- THIS IS A
STRUGGLE FOR POWER.
SO, WHAT WE NEED TO BE DOING
RIGHT NOW IS REALLY SHOWING UP
AND LETTING SENATORS KNOW THERE
ARE GOING TO BE CONSEQUENCES TO
THEIR ACTIONS.
THE REALITY IS, AS CLIFF BROUGHT
UP, YESTERDAY MARKED THE
ANNIVERSARY OF THE SHELBY COUNTY
V. HOLDER DECISION, WHICH SAID
TO CONGRESS YOU NEED TO UPDATE
THIS FORMULA.
ITS BEEN EIGHT YEARS AND NOT
FOR LACK OF TRYING BUT EIGHT
YEARS THEY HAVENT PASSED A NEW
FORMULA AND RESTORED THE VOTING
RIGHTS ACT.
EVEN THOUGH 80% OF AMERICANS
WANT THIS.
IF ANY ONE OF US WERE TOLD BY
OUR BOSS TO DO SOMETHING AND IN