Voter Formation Project

The Supreme Court is blocking our blessings...AGAIN!

Student loan debt relief is popular and would help ease the cost of living for millions of people. By continuing to deny it, the Supreme Court is ignoring our voices and needs.

Supreme Court refuses to allow Biden’s student loan repayment plan — for now The Biden administration plan, known as Save, offers lower monthly student loan payments and a faster path to loan cancellation for millions of borrowers.

During election seasons, we are constantly inundated with news, controversial topics, and content that can be draining. It is so important to protect our self care as we stay engaged.

"Most Black women are wondering if greater America will ever accept us in the highest position of power despite our many qualifications. Others wonder how this election and its results will continue to affect our quality of life."

Check out some tips to protect your self care from Essence!

This Election Looks And Feels Different For Black Women, Here’s How We Can Center Self-Care | Essence One of history's most significant presidential elections is only several months away, stressing us out. Here’s how to center self-care.

Abortion bans are putting women's health at risk.

“I ended up losing half of my fertility and if I was made to wait any longer, it’s very likely I would have died,” Norris-De La Cruz said in a statement. “These bans are making it nearly impossible to get basic emergency healthcare. So, I’m filing this complaint because women like me deserve justice and accountability from those that hurt us. Texas state officials can’t keep ignoring us. We can’t let them.”

Reproductive justice is on the ballot this November.

In new complaint, Texas women say delayed care due to abortion laws endangered their fertility Texas law allows doctors to terminate ectopic pregnancies, but both women say they were denied care until it was too late.

What's driving you to the polls this year?

We're voting for our freedom ✊

They're already plotting to undermine our voices.

In Georgia, election officials are changing the rules in an attempt to make it harder to certify election results.

Their tactics won't scare us. We will show out in November and make our voices heard REGARDLESS 👏🏾

Georgia State Election Board passes new rule allowing county boards to demand more information before certifying an election | CNN Politics Georgia’s State Election Board passed a new rule ahead of the November election that will give county election boards the authority to demand more information, including the ability to conduct inquiries, before certifying election results.

Period.

Thee hot girl coach is for the people! Through her foundation, Megan thee Stallion will give back to seniors in her hometown who have been impacted by Hurricane Beryl.

“It’s been painful to watch the elderly population in Houston suffer without electricity during these devastating storms,” Megan said in a press release. “That’s why we wanted to partner with Bread of Life to take a strategic approach to this problem and secure generators to help protect our senior citizens. We need to do our part to provide our elders with the best resources possible to withstand future emergencies.”

Megan Thee Stallion’s Foundation to Bring Seniors Emergency Generators Megan Thee Stallion’s Pete and Thomas Foundation and Bread of Life Inc. are working to bring generators to seniors during emergencies

Lower prices = more money in our pockets 💴

Inflation is going down, but there’s still more work to do. We can choose leaders who will demand fair prices for our families to bring the cost of living down everywhere.

Today is Black Women's Equal Pay Day, a reminder of the ongoing fight for pay equity.

Together, we have the power to elect leaders who will implement reforms and address this inequality. Let's use our voices and our votes to make a change! 💪🏾💼

Sha’Carri Richardson on the cover of Vogue is everything! Celebrating her incredible journey and unstoppable spirit. 🏃🏾‍♀️✨ https://www.vogue.com/article/shacarri-richardson-august-2024-digital-cover-interview

Recap of activity so far today ⤵️

📱Justices ruled in favor of federal agencies communicating with social media companies re: disinformation

👀 Court "inadvertently" leaked its own decision allowing emergency abortions in Idaho

Supreme Court Poised to Allow Emergency Abortions in Idaho The US Supreme Court is poised to allow abortions in medical emergencies in Idaho, according to a copy of the opinion that was briefly posted on the court’s website.

We're all the way here for Angel Reese and Sha'Carri Richardson being unapologetically themselves and dominating their sport at the same time! ✨💛

Two years ago today, the Supreme Court ruled to take away reproductive freedom for millions of women across the country. And since then, states have followed suit in chipping away at reproductive rights and regressing our country into one that fails to uphold fundamental freedoms.

This November, reproductive freedom is on the ballot in states including Arizona, Arkansas, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, Florida, Pennsylvania, Colorado, Maryland, South Dakota, and Missouri. Make your voice heard and vote.

The Supreme Court still has 23 cases left to decide, and some of these rulings will cover major topics like presidential immunity, content moderation, gun control, and abortion rights. 👀

Supreme Court gets ready to drop its bombshells Trump's immunity claim is one of 23 cases to be decided in the next week or so.

In Galveston County, Texas - the birth place of Juneteenth - the political power of Black and brown voters is in jeopardy.

“Why do they want to take it away from us? We have a voting precinct there that ensures that we will have a minority representative on Commissioners Court, and it was pretty much . . . being taken away from us,”

Black and Latino Voting Power Under Threat in Redistricting Case A federal appeals court in Texas is considering whether to reverse a precedent allowing minority voter coalitions to jointly sue over racial discrimination.

As we celebrate Pride Month, it's vital to pay homage to the unsung Black and brown LGBTQ+ activists who have played a defining role in so many elements of q***r history and progress.

"Black and brown people, their marginalization was furthered by their sexual orientation, causing violence, discrimination, and oppression..Pride month is a celebration of our progress—but must also be an acknowledgement of the work that still needs to be done."

This Pride Month, we can celebrate by showing up for the q***r folks of color who have shown up for all of us time and time again.

The Black and brown activists who started Pride | Brookings One piece of history that frequently gets lost is the fact that many of these defining moments were only made possible by Black and brown LGBTQ+ activists fighting for their liberation, Kristen Broady and Carlm Romer analyze.

The Supreme Court unanimously ruled to preserve access to mifepristone, a safe, FDA-approved, abortion medication. While we enjoy this win for reproductive rights today, this case still leaves the door open for future attacks on reproductive healthcare.

Unanimous Supreme Court preserves access to widely used abortion medication The Supreme Court has preserved access to a medication used in nearly two-thirds of all abortions in the U.S. last year.

"More than 80 percent of pregnancy-related deaths in the United States are preventable, but factors including a shortage of maternity care providers, limited access to after-birth home visits and lack of guaranteed paid parental leave have increased the risk of maternal mortality, especially for Black people, researchers have found."

Black women are disproportionately affected by maternal health disparities. It's time we advocate for systemic changes to ensure equal access to quality health care and support for all mothers.

Childbirth deadlier for Americans, especially Black women, study finds While the U.S. maternal death rate is 22 for every 100,000 live births, 10 countries in the report had a death rate of fewer than 10 per 100,000.

Election season is here - and tools like AI are making it easier than ever to create manipulated media that spreads disinformation to voters.

"The 2024 election is likely to be the first in which faked audio and video of candidates is a serious factor. As campaigns warm up, voters should be aware: voice clones of major political figures, from the president on down, get very little pushback from AI companies, as a new study demonstrates."

Voice cloning of political figures is still easy as pie | TechCrunch The 2024 election is likely to be the first in which faked audio and video of candidates is a serious factor. As campaigns warm up, voters should be

There’s no question that student loan forgiveness would be life-changing for our communities.

Imagine a future where our kids can pursue their dreams and passions without the heavy burden of debt.

What To Know About Current Student Loan Forgiveness Efforts | Bankrate The Supreme Court struck down Biden's original student loan forgiveness program, but forgiveness options are still being considered.

In response to historic voter turnout in 2020, there have been a national wave of laws that aim to make it harder for people to get to the polls in 2024.

Cracking down on voter registration drives is a targeted attempt to discourage voter participation, and Black and Brown voters will be disproportionately impacted.

"When more people participate in elections, the better democracy we will have,"

Groups that register voters are feeling besieged by new state laws New Republican-backed laws in several states add large fines or criminal penalties for minor mistakes in voter registration work. As groups pull back, they're reaching fewer voters.

Let's be clear: unnecessary obstacles to the ballot discourage people from participating in our democracy. We should be doing everything we can to make it EASIER to vote, not harder.

Voting rights groups file lawsuit to challenge Pennsylvania mail-in ballot date requirement • Pennsylvania Capital-Star The question of whether mail-in ballots with a missing or incorrect date on the outside envelope should be counted has been a factor in elections since 2020

"What this data can and does establish, however, is that the Court’s retreat from protecting voting rights for people of color has resulted in increasing gaps in participation in places like South Carolina."

How SCOTUS Cited Our Voting Data While Reaching Wrong Conclusion in Gerrymandering Case The Court said that data on voters’ race couldn’t be used to advance or undermine voting rights because of long-standing turnout gaps. That’s not true.

Today, the Supreme Court ruled to uphold a congressional map in South Carolina that excludes thousands of Black voters.

This decision is a blow to Black voters and our democracy.

US Supreme Court says South Carolina election map doesn't impermissibly exclude Black voters The Supreme Court on Thursday upheld a Republican-drawn South Carolina congressional district, saying it was not the result of racial gerrymandering.

👑 Angel Reese just added professional sports team owner to her growing resume!

“I want to help grow women’s sports and elevate female athletes across the board,” Reese said in a statement.

Sky rookie Angel Reese named newest owner of DC Power FC Reese is the newest owner of DC Power Football Club, the new Washington, D.C.-based professional women’s soccer team.

Georgia voters, today is State Primary Election Day!

On the ballot for today's primary, you'll encounter 8 non-binding questions that ask for your stance on topics ranging from minimum wage requirements to IVF access.

Learn more about what to expect to see on your ballot today:

Don't get baffled by Georgia's ballot questions Democratic and Republican leadership choose the nonbinding language to gauge voter sentiment

"Americans in more than half of the states will face voting restrictions this year that weren’t in place four years ago during the last presidential election, a new analysis finds."

We should be making it easier to vote, not harder. These attacks on voting rights are a direct response to historic levels of voter participation in 2020, and will disproportionately impact communities of color.

We need laws in place to protect access to the ballot NOW.

In more than half the states, voting this year will be harder than it is was four years ago, a new report finds | CNN Politics Americans in more than half the states will face voting restrictions this year that weren’t in place four years ago during the last presidential election, a new analysis finds.

"Letter to women and children: Men who hit women aren't men. Men who enable it and protect those people aren't men. As men, violence against women shouldn't be inevitable. Check your brothers, your friends, and your family."

Cassie's Husband Posts Letter After Diddy Assault Footage Leaks: 'Men Who Hit Women Aren't Men' Fine also called on men to protect the women in their lives while also showing support to victims by posting the domestice violence hotline number.