Defeating Voter Suppression

Collective Renaissance galvanizes young voters

After a multi-year legal battle, Alabama activists and civil rights lawyers defeated the state's racist gerrymandered congressional map — and forced the state legislature to redraw the map more fairly. Prior to the legal action, Alabama legislators had “cracked” or divided the Black Belt region across four congressional districts, instead of giving the region its own unique congressional district. The newest map established a redrawn 2nd congressional district with a Black voting-age population of 49%.

Even so, bad-faith political actors continued their onslaught against representative democracy this cycle by spreading election disinformation, and the Alabama state government tried to purge voters. Rural Democracy grantee Collective Renaissance countered by organizing and reaching out to over 11,000 young Black infrequent voters in rural counties stretching from Russell County in the east into Washington County near the Mississippi border. Collective Renaissance organized young canvassers and volunteers who know their local communities best to deliver reliable election information to their peers and neighbors. They went directly to voters through thousands of door-to-door conversations and by dialing and texting thousands more. They also showed up at historically Black colleges and universities’ football classics, where they registered students to vote, collected voter pledges, and distributed accurate election information. In addition, they organized a homecoming tour at 10 high schools and colleges across the district.

By election day, rural voters were ready. Collective Renaissance’s voter outreach was critical for delivering a big win for the pro-democracy candidate — and for the first time in history electing two Black congresspeople from the state of Alabama.