HAVE YOU NOTICED EVERYWHERE IS
OUT OF EVERYTHING?
NEW REPORTING ON THE GLOBAL
SHORTAGE OF EVERYTHING.
"ALL IN" STARTS RIGHT NOW.
GOOD EVENING FROM NEW YORK.
IM CHRIS HAYES.
FOR THE LAST 24 HOURS I HAVE
BEEN THINKING ABOUT SOMETHING
THAT MITCH McCONNELL SAID
YESTERDAY.
YOU MAY HAVE SEEN HE CAME OUT TO
ANNOUNCE HE IS NOT JUST AGAINST
THE AMBITIOUS VOTING RIGHTS BILL
KNOWN AS THE FOR THE PEOPLE ACT,
BUT ALSO THE MUCH MORE LIMITED
JOHN LEWIS VOTING RIGHTS ACT,
WHICH WOULD SIMPLY REESTABLISH
PROVISIONS OF THE VOTING RIGHTS
ACT THAT WERE STRUCK DOWN BY THE
SUPREME COURT IN 2013.
>> THREAT TO THE VOTING RIGHTS
LAW.
ITS AGAINST THE LAW TO
DISCRIMINATE IN VOTING ON THE
BASE OF RACE ALREADY.
SO I THINK ITS UNNECESSARY.
>> UNNECESSARY.
ALREADY AGAINST THE LAW TO
DISCRIMINATE BASED ON RACE.
NOW, THERES A BUNCH OF STUFF TO
UNPACK.
BACK IN 2006 MITCH McCONNELL NOT
ONLY VOTED FOR REAUTHORIZING THE
VOTING RIGHTS ACT BUT AS
MAJORITY WHIP HE WAS RESPONSIBLE
FOR GETTING HIS REPUBLICAN
COLLEAGUES TO VOTE FOR IT TOO,
EVEN TOOK TO THE SENATE FLOOR TO
GIVE A SPEECH ABOUT IT.
>> WE HAVE OF COURSE RENEWED THE
VOTING RIGHTS ACT PERIODICALLY
SINCE THAT TIME OVERWHELMINGLY
AND ON A BIPARTISAN BASIS YEAR
AFTER YEAR BECAUSE MEMBERS OF
CONGRESS REALIZE THIS IS A PIECE
OF LEGISLATION THAT HAS WORKED
AND ONE OF MY FAVORITE SAYINGS
IS IF IT AINT BROKE, DONT FIX
IT.
THIS IS A GOOD PIECE OF
LEGISLATION THAT HAS SERVED AN
IMPORTANT PURPOSE OVER MANY,
MANY YEARS.
THIS LANDMARK PIECE OF
LEGISLATION WILL CONTINUE TO
MAKE A DIFFERENCE NOT ONLY IN
THE SOUTH BUT FOR ALL OF AMERICA
AND FOR ALL OF US, WHETHER WERE
AFRICAN-AMERICANS OR NOT.
>> 15 YEARS AGO, IF IT AINT
BROKE, DONT FIX IT.
YOU GOT TO WONDER WHEN MITCH
McCONNELL THINKS IT BROKE.
FOR MITCH McCONNELL TO COME OUT
YESTERDAY AND SAY, WELL, YOU
SEE, ITS ALREADY ILLEGAL TO
DISCRIMINATE ON THE BASIS OF
RACE FOR VOTING AND NOT BE THE
SOURCE OF JUST UNIVERSAL
RIDICULE AND CONDEMNATION,
SPEAKS TO JUST HOW ABSENT THE
HISTORICAL CONTEXT OF RACE AND
DEMOCRACY IS IN ALL OF OUR
DISCUSSIONS TODAY.
MITCH McCONNELL SAYS ITS
ALREADY AGAINST THE LAW TO
DISCRIMINATE FROM VOTING ON THE
BASIS OF RACE.
SO HE THINKS A LAW POLICING THAT
RIGHT IS UNNECESSARY.
NOW, THERE IS A VERY OBVIOUS
PROBLEM HERE.
THOSE WHO STUDIED THE HISTORY OF
VOTING RIGHTS IN AMERICA AND
THWARTED EFFORTS TO ACHIEVE A
MULTIRACIAL DEMOCRACY IN THIS
COUNTRY.
NO.
IT HAS BEEN AGAINST THE LAW TO
DISCRIMINATE ON THE BASIS OF
RACE IN VOTING SINCE 1870, WHEN
THE 15th AMENDMENT WAS RATIFIED
SAYING, QUOTE, THE RIGHT OF
CITIZENS OF THE UNITED STATES TO
VOTE SHALL NOT BE DENIED OR
ABRIDGED BY THE UNITED STATES OR
BY ANY STATE ON ACCOUNT OF RACE,
COLOR OR PREVIOUS CONDITION OF
SERVITUDE.
IT SAYS IT RIGHT THERE IN BLACK
AND WHITE IN THE U.S.
CONSTITUTION.
IT SAYS YOU CANNOT RACIALLY
DISCRIMINATE IN VOTING.
SO YOU CAN IMAGINE A VERSION OF
MITCH McCONNELL IN, I DONT
KNOW, 1920 KENTUCKY SAYING
LITERALLY THE EXACT SAME
STATEMENT.
OH, WHY DO WE NEED A LAW TO
ENFORCE VOTING RIGHTS?
ITS ALREADY ILLEGAL.
OR STROM THURMOND SAYING, THERE
ARE THREE REASONS I FEEL THE
BILL SHOULD NOT BE PASSED.
THE FIRST IS THAT ITS
UNNECESSARY.
EVERY STATE HAS ENACTED SOME LEGISLATION MAKING IT UNLAWFUL
LEGISLATION MAKING IT UNLAWFUL
TO INTIMIDATE A VENTILATORHIM OR
IN VOTING.
ITS IN THE CONSTITUTION.
THOSE WERE THE TYPE OF ARGUMENTS
SEGREGATIONISTS MADE, JIM CROW
AUTHORITARIANS, DECADE AFTER
DECADE AFTER DECADE AFTER DECADE
IN THIS COUNTRY.
AS THEY FLOGGED MULTIRACIAL
DEMOCRACY TO DEATH UNDERNEATH
THE TABLE AS THEY GAVE THOSE
SPEECHES.
WE ARE NOT DISCRIMINATING.
THE LAW SAYS WE CANT.
ANYONE CAN VOTE.
THIS IS HOW SENATOR JAMES
EASTLAND OF MISSISSIPPI,
NOTORIOUS SEGREGATIONIST, THE
VOICE TO THE WHITE SOUTH, PUT IT
TO MIKE WALLACE.
>> ARE YOU SUGGESTING THAT YOUR
PEOPLE DOWN IN THE STATE OF
MISSISSIPPI ENCOURAGE NEGROS TO
REGISTER AND VOTE?
>> WELL, WE HAVE NO VOTING
QUALIFICATIONS BASED ON RACE.
NOT AT ALL AND ANYBODY WHOS
QUALIFIED CAN VOTE.
>> MISSISSIPPI SENATOR 1957, WE
HAVE NO VOTING QUALIFICATIONS
BASED ON RACE.
OF COURSE.
WHY WOULD WE?
ITS IN THE CONSTITUTION.
THE CONSTITUTION RATIFIED IN
1870 WHEN MISSISSIPPI WAS UNDER
FEDERAL OCCUPATION.
THEYRE ALL SAYING THE SAME
THING, STROM THURMOND, JAMES
EASTLAND AND MITCH McCONNELL 64
YEARS LATER.
McCONNELL SAYS THIS AS HE IS
THREATENING TO FILIBUSTER THE
WHOLE SET OF LEGISLATION MEANT
TO AFFIRM THE FRANCHISE, LEADING
TO A SITUATION ONE CRITIC
DESCRIBED AS A SENATE THAT IS A
MINORITY OF MISGUIDED SENATORS
WHO WILL USE THE FILIBUSTER TO
KEEP THE MAJORITY OF PEOPLE FROM
EVEN VOTING.
SO EVEN THOUGH IT HAS BEEN THE
LAW SINCE 1870, AS MITCH
McCONNELL SAYS, THAT DID NOT
MATTER TO THE VAST SWATHS OF
MILLIONS OF OSTENSIBLY FREE
BLACK AMERICANS.
THEY WATCHED THAT DESTROYED,
ERODED AND GUTS ALL ALL KIND OF
MEANS, EXTRALEGAL TERRORISM AND
ARMED COUPS THAT LITERALLY TOOK
GOVERNMENTS AWAY FROM THEM WHICH
WERE MULTIRACIAL IN NATURE.
THAT HAPPENED IN WILMINGTON,
NORTH CAROLINA, WHITE PEOPLE
JUST STORMING THE TOWN HALL,
TAKING IT OVER, WHICH I IMAGINE
YOU PROBABLY HAVE NOT HEARD A
LOT ABOUT, BECAUSE ITS NOT
REALLY TAUGHT IN SCHOOLS.
ARMS COUPS HAPPENED ALL OVER THE
SOUTH. THEN OF COURSE THERE WERE THE
THEN OF COURSE THERE WERE THE
JIM CROW LAWS WHICH STUDIOUSLY
EXPLIT ITALY
EXPLICITLY AVOIDED MENTIONING
RACE.
THATS WHY WE HAD LITERACY TEST
AND GRANDFATHER CLAUSE AND NAME
HOW MANY JELLY BEANS ARE IN THE
JAR, LAWS THAT MADE IT ALMOST
IMPOSSIBLE FUNCTIONALLY TO VOTE
DESPITE THE RIGHT BEING
ENSHRINED IN THE 15th AMENDMENT.
THAT IS THE WHOLE STRUGGLE FOR
MAKING REAL THE PROMISE OF
MULTIRACIAL DEMOCRACY AND
UNIVERSAL DISENFRANCHISEMENT OF
ALL ADULTS.
FOR MITCH McCONNELL TO COME OUT
IN 2020 AND SAY, WELL, THE LAW
PRESCRIBES IT, SHOWS HE KNOWS
NOTHING ABOUT HISTORY OR IS
WILDLY CYNICAL OR BOTH.
YOU CANNOT UNDERSTAND THE
EFFORTS OF VOTER SUPPRESSION.
YOU CANT UNDERSTAND WHAT YOURE
SEEING TODAY UNLESS YOU
UNDERSTAND THE HISTORY, BECAUSE
IT WAS PRECISELY METHODS OF
VOTER SUPPRESSION, CHANGING THE
HOURS THE REGISTRAR WAS OPEN OR
MAKING THEM OPEN ONLY ONCE A
MONTH, THOSE ARE THE METHODS
THAT TOOK WHAT WAS A NASCENT
MULTIRACIAL DEMOCRACY AND TURNED
IT BACK INTO APARTHEID STATE.
I HAVE COME TO BELIEVE THIS
STORY, THE STORY OF THAT FACT,
THAT IN THE WAKE OF THE CIVIL
WAR WE BEGAN TO PUT IN PLACE THE
FOUNDATIONS OF MULTIRACIAL
DEMOCRACY, AND IT WAS DESTROYED
BY WHITE SUPREMACY IS THE MOST
IMPORTANT STORY ABOUT AMERICA
AND THE LEAST TOLD.
WHEN IT IS NOT TOLD, IT IS IN
THE ABSENCE OF ITS TELLING THAT
SOMEONE LIKE MITCH McCONNELL OR
REPUBLICAN LEGISLATORS IN
GEORGIA OR TEXAS OR FLORIDA CAN
GET AWAY WITH THEIR NOTHING TO
SEE HERE.
OF COURSE, WE SEE THESE METHODS
ALL THE WAY UP TO THE FEDERAL
GOVERNMENT TO BLOCK THINGS LIKE
THE FOR THE PEOPLE ACT OR NOW HE
OPPOSES THE VOTING RIGHTS ACT.
IT MAY SOUND JUST LIKE A WEIRD
MESSAGE OF HISTORY.
THE HISTORY OF THE FILIBUSTER IS
ALSO INEXTRICABLY BOUND UP IN
THE HISTORY OF RACE AND SOUTHERN
OBSTRUCTION OF BLACK
ENFRANCHISEMENT.
THE PERSON WHO JUST FIGURED OUT
WHAT WOULD BECOME THE MODERN
FILIBUSTER WAS JOHN CALHOUN.
JOHN CALHOUN, THE INTELLECTUAL
FATHER OF THE CONFEDERACY, THE
MAN WHO SAID SLAVERY WAS NOT A
NECESSARY EVIL BUT, QUOTE, A
POSITIVE GOOD.
YES, THE FILIBUSTER WAS USE FOR
LOTS OF DIFFERENT THINGS LOTS OF
PLACES, BUT ONE OF ITS CORE
CENTRAL USES WAS BY SOUTHERN
WHITE SENATORS TO BLOCK
ANTI-LYNCHING BILLS AND TO BLOCK
CIVIL RIGHTS BILLS.
EARLIER I READ A QUOTE
CONDEMNING THE USE OF THE
FILIBUSTER TO BLOCK VOTING
RIGHTS.
YOU KNOW WHO SAID THAT?
MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR.
HERE HE IS DECRYING THE
FILIBUSTER AS A TOOL OF WHITE
SUPREMACY IN 1963.
>> THE TRAGEDY IS THAT WE HAVE A
CONGRESS WITH A SENATE THAT HAS
A MINORITY OF MISGUIDED SENATORS
WHO WILL USE THE FILIBUSTER TO
KEEP THE MAJORITY OF PEOPLE FROM
EVEN VOTING.
THEY WONT LET THE MAJORITY
SENATORS VOTE.
SUDDENLY THEY WOULDNT WANT THE
MAJORITY PEOPLE TO VOTE BECAUSE
THEY KNOW THEY DO NOT REPRESENT
THE MAJORITY OF THE AMERICAN
PEOPLE.
>> WILD TO HEAR THAT, RIGHT?
THE STATEMENT IS JUST AS TRUE
NOW AS IT WAS 58 YEARS AGO.
EVERYTHING OLD IS NEW AGAIN.
IF YOU DO NOT HAVE THIS
HISTORICAL CONTEXT, IT IS HARD
TO TRULY APPRECIATE WHAT WE ARE
SEEING IN FRONT OF OUR FACES.
THAT HISTORY IS LARGELY NOT
TAUGHT IN SCHOOLS.
PEOPLE DONT HEAR ABOUT
RECONSTRUCTION AND ALL THAT IT
REPRESENTED.
PEOPLE DONT KNOW THAT THE STATE
OF SOUTH CAROLINA HAD A MAJORITY
BLACK HOUSE OF LEGISLATURE IN
1868, THAT MISSISSIPPI HAD A
BLACK SENATOR IN 1970.
I HEARD ABOUT IT, BUT NOT A TON.
THAT BRINGS US TO THE ASSAULT ON
HISTORY THAT REPUBLICANS ARE NOW
PAIRING WITH THEIR ASSAULT ON
VOTING RIGHTS.
IT
THEY ARE DIGGING IN THE ARCHIVES
FOR METHODS OF VOTER SUPPRESSION
AND TARGETED ATTACKS ON BLACK
AND BROWN FOLKS IN AN ATTEMPT TO
ROLL BACK MULTIRACIAL DEMOCRACY
WHILE ALSO ATTACKING THE
TEACHING OF THE HOUSE THAT WOULD
ILLUMINATE TO PEOPLE WHY THAT
EFFORT IS SO DANGEROUS, WHY IT
HAPPENED BEFORE AND WHY IT WON
LAST TIME AND WHY IT PUT US
WHERE WE ARE NOW, SO STATE AFTER
STATE, FOX NEWS AND REPUBLICANS
HAVE WHIPPED UP PANIC ABOUT
SO-CALLED CRITICAL RACE THEORY.
MORE THAN 20 STATES HAVE
INTRODUCED LEGISLATION TO BAN
CRITICAL RACE THEORY OR BANNED
IT ALL TOGETHER.
CRITICAL RACE THEORY IS AN
ACTUAL DOCTRINE, ACADEMIC METHOD
STARTED TO QUESTION SOME OF THE
ASSUMPTIONS ABOUT LAW AND POWER
AND HOW THEY FUNCTION IN THE
U.S.
IM NOT AN EXPERT AT IT.
I HAVE READ SOME OF IT.
I DONT THINK ITS THE
DEFINITIVE WORD ON RACE AND THE
LAW OR AMERICAN HISTORY, BUT
ITS A VERY DIFFERENT THING THAN
HOW THE TERM HAS BEEN APPLIED BY
CONSERVATIVE ACTIVISTS.
A FEW MONTHS AGO CHRIS RUFO, ONE
OF THE ACTIVISTS PURSUING THIS
MORAL PANIC, TWEETED, QUOTE, THE
GOAL TO HAVE THE PUBLIC READ
SOMETHING CRAZY IN THE NEWSPAPER
AND IMMEDIATELY THINK CRITICAL
RACE THEORY.
WE HAVE DECODIFIED THE TERM.
IF YOU DONT LIKE IT, THEN ITS
CRITICAL RACE THEORY.
THATS WHAT HES SAYING.
IF YOU DONT WANT YOUR WHITE
CHILDREN BEING TAUGHT THAT SAY
WHITE TERRORISTS MURDERED BLACK
PEOPLE THROUGHOUT THE SOUTH,
WELL, THEN THATS CRITICAL RACE
THEORY.
YOU SEE HOW THAT WORKS?
SO NOW THE REPUBLICANS ARE
RAILING ABOUT FREE SPEECH TO
BASICALLY MAKE IT IMPOSSIBLE OR
EVEN CRIMINAL TO TEACH CERTAIN
THINGS IN SCHOOLS.
BUT ITS ALL PART OF THE SAME
STORY.
THEYRE RUNNING BACK TO THE OLD
TACTICS IN THE PAST WHILE MAKING
IT HARDER FOR PEOPLE TO LEARN