Felons in Mississippi often permanently lose their right to vote, even after serving their sentence. The practice has resulted in the disenfranchisement of 10% of the state’s population. Now, civil rights groups are challenging the law in court, claiming it discriminates against black citizens and amounts to cruel and unusual punishment. Those in favor of the law say although it was originally passed to suppress the black vote post-Reconstruction, there is no evidence of racial bias today. Listen to learn more about the lawsuit against the state of Mississippi and then debate: Should former felons be allowed to vote?
Story Length: 4:59
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January 27, 2019
1:35
A new group of Florida voters can now participate in the election process. Former felons in Florida were not allowed to vote for many years, but a recent amendment passed by a majority of Florida voters has reinstated this important right of citizenship. Listen to this story to hear more about what this change means for new voters and for the state of Florida.
Read MoreSeptember 15, 2017
3:18
A city in Maryland is debating whether to allow non-citizens to vote in local elections and cast ballots for mayor and other city officials. This is happening at a time when other places around the country are imposing voter restrictions and a federal commission is focusing on voter fraud. Council Member Christine Nagle sponsored this voting measure to include long-term residents of her community in the decision-making process of town governments. Listen to this story and then debate: Should non-citizens be allowed to vote in local elections?
Read MoreMarch 10, 2015
7:16
Fifty years ago, a bloody confrontation on the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, Alabama exposed the nation to the racial injustice and brutality of the American South. This event paved the way for the Voting Rights Act of 1965, forcing all municipalities to allow black residents to register to vote. Listen to learn more about this historic event in the Civil Rights Movement from people who participated in Bloody Sunday.
Read MoreJanuary 15, 2015
3:54
The 1965 voting rights march in Selma, Alabama exposed police brutality to the world and set the stage for the passage of the Voting Rights Act. The movie ‘Selma’ tells the story of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and the movement in Selma in a new and authentic way. Listen to learn more about traditional Hollywood depictions of civil rights and how this movie has broken that mold.
WARNING: THIS AUDIO STORY CONTAINS STRONG LANGUAGE
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