YWCA Columbus

Make sure to not miss our very own Danielle and the rest of this amazing lineup today! 🧡

Join us Wednesday, May 20 from 12:00 - 1:00 p.m. on Zoom and Facebook Live for an Action Conversation on Protecting Democracy. ASL interpretation is provided. Register now at ywcapgh.org/conversations.

This conversation will explore authoritarianism and its impact on democracy. Panelists will examine how racism and sexism are weaponized by authoritarian power structures. Highlighting censorship and voter disenfranchisement as persistent threats, the discussion will identify strategies to resist authoritarianism and advance a democratic society rooted in peace, justice, dignity, and freedom for all.

Moderator: Danielle Boyd, MSSA - Social Impact Leader & Program Manager, Justice, Equity, Belonging Program, YWCA Columbus

Panelists:
+ Ralph Bangs, PhD, Former Associate Director, Center on Race & Social Problems, School of Social Work, University of Pittsburgh
+ Lorraine Cross, Board Chair and Civic Engagement Coordinator, Black Political Empowerment Project (B-PEP)
+ Patrick Fisher, CEO, Greater Pittsburgh Arts Council

This week, The Supreme Court effectively gutted what was left of the 1965 Voting Rights Act (VRA) – now leaving only a husk of the landmark civil rights legislation in its wake. The VRA prohibited states from denying citizens the right to vote based on race, included provisions that banned states from implementing discriminatory voting practices, and required jurisdictions with a history of voter discrimination to obtain preclearance before enforcing a new voting policy – a truly historic victory in the fight for civil rights and fair representation.

Read YWCA Columbus' statement here: https://buff.ly/4fL0fex