Sweet Tea & Sharp Lines
“You can’t do nothing when the rabbit hold’n the gun”.
Across the nation this past weekend, many of us lit fireworks, put food on the grill, and enjoyed our time off from our work schedules. But this Fourth of July is a little more unique in that it represents the 250th birthday of the United States.
As a black woman, born and raised in the South, I can’t look at this anniversary without also looking at how we are still in the fight of our lives to create the version of this country that truly mirrors equity and justice for all.
Recently in my home state of South Carolina, a special session to dilute our vote by calling to redraw our maps and thankfully, the Senate rejected it. This same tactic was used in Georgia. And it is with so much pride that because of the Georgian’s ability to organize, we won there too.
In my years of fighting alongside so many people that make these wins possible, I’ve learned that an informed person is a powerful person. But If I’m being honest, I grew up in a politically un-engaged family. We never talked about issues, we talked about impact. That looked like me helping the community and family with what they were growing in their backyards because it was free versus what it would cost in the store. Or knowing we only used the lights and water a certain amount of times a day because of the bill that would come later.
I saw my community be impacted by national, state, and local decision-makers every day. And I also saw no one questioning why the impacts they lived through or how those things came to be. It was just a matter-of-fact and universal acceptance.
It wasn’t until joining student government at the College of Charleston that I saw how simple decisions could lead to large impact (both good and bad). It was things that people thought were small – like which clubs get approved, what student programming got funding, and how University decision-makers engaged with us – that led to daily consequences. From Black-led organizations not getting the same resources as others to a Confederate Chapter President being named our University President and ignoring student outcry. It was this experience that taught me the true reality of any governance – everything is political. And everything that is being governed will bleed into every part of our lives, whether you participate or not. The difference is that when you do participate, you have more power. And when we all participate, we’re a force that decides who we trust to have the power.
The effort to redraw congressional lines is more than just a piece of paper, it decides whose voice counts and if we all don’t join this fight now, it will also decide how the voiceless are further oppressed.
For most of this country’s history, Black people in the South were either legally barred from voting or targeted by laws designed to keep us away from the polls: slavery, Black Codes, poll taxes, literacy tests, white primaries.
Then there are quiet efforts like racialized redistricting that chipped away at our influence even after formal barriers fell.
Today, as the Supreme Court weakens key parts of the Voting Rights Act and upholds maps that move tens of thousands of Black voters out of districts where their voices have mattered, we’re reminded that this struggle isn’t a relic of the past. It’s happening right now, in the very states where many of us still call home.
We’ve seen this in the past. Federal courts have found that older district lines illegally diluted Black voting strength and ordered new congressional and legislative districts that gave Black voters a fairer shot at electing candidates of their choice. Those victories didn’t fall from the sky. They were won by Black voters, civil rights lawyers, organizers, and everyday people who testified at hearings, joined lawsuits, and refused to accept maps built on discrimination as the price of doing politics in the South.
This has been our history and our current reality. But of course, you will hear another version about this nation. And it’s a comfortable lie to accept.
They will say that discrimination is something we left behind and that the nation is more safe, equitable, and accountable than it’s ever been. That the laws, policies, and actions – set by this Administration and some other governing bodies – are protecting us.
This version ignores how power actually works. This version asks us to look away when polling places were quietly invaded and voter data disappears. This version allows silent compliance when USPS attempts to make mail-in ballot changes that would create additional hurdles for voters.
The South is more than its sweet tea – the parts that often get romanticized. The charming accents, appreciated hospitality, and the endearing catchphrases. We have to start paying attention to the sharp lines that shape our lives. And that starts with asking ourselves what do we want to be true in the South (and in our nation) for the next 250 years? And are you going to join the fight to get it?
If the vision is equality and justice then you’ve come to the right place. Join the movement now by
Checking your voter registration here
If you’re not registered, register here
Need a reminder about elections? Sign up here
And if your version isn’t that, well … in the words of great elders and ancestors: “you can’t do nothing when the rabbit hold’n the gun”.