CounterPunch Exclusives

CounterPunch Exclusives

The Supreme Court’s War on the Voting Rights Act Sends America Backwards

Photograph by Nathaniel St. Clair

The United States took a decisive step toward democracy with the passage of the Voting Rights Act of 1965. At the time, Black political representation was not just limited — it was nearly nonexistent. African Americans made up more than 10 percent of the population but held less than 2 percent of seats in Congress and none in the Senate.

By dismantling formal barriers to voting, the Voting Rights Act opened the door for Black political participation — and over time, representation. That progress was neither immediate nor inevitable, but it was real.

It was in this context that the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies, the organization I lead, was founded in 1970. Our mission is to support the growth of Black political leadership and ensure that increased representation translates into meaningful policy outcomes.

More than five decades later, that mission remains urgent.

Black representation in the House has grown from fewer than 10 members in 1965 to more than 60 today,........

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