FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Friday, February 25, 2022
Contact: [email protected]
WASHINGTON, DC – Today, Stephanie L. Young, Executive Director of When We All Vote, a leading voting organization committed to increasing participation in every election, released the following statement after President Biden’s announcement of Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson as the Supreme Court nominee:
“This is a historic day in our nation’s history. Judge Brown Jackson’s nomination as the first Black woman to serve as a Supreme Court Justice creates a Court that for the first time truly reflects the great diversity of this country. This historic nomination also shows President Biden’s commitment to creating a more equitable justice system.
This nomination comes at a pivotal moment for the future and health of our nation’s democracy: we either protect and expand our sacred right to vote or we return to pre-Voting Rights Act voter suppression. Much of the fate of our democracy lies in the hands of the Supreme Court.
The Voting Rights Act is one of the most successful civil rights laws in American history but has been consistently weakened in the last decade. Three cases — Shelby County v. Holder (2013), Abbott v. Perez (2018), and Brnovich v. DNC (2021) — have drained nearly all of the life out of this landmark statute. Earlier this month, the current Supreme Court voted to reinstate an Alabama congressional map that a lower court said diluted the power of Black voters.
We need a Supreme Court that will protect and safeguard our democracy. Voting and free and fair elections are the foundation of that. The Senate must confirm Judge Brown Jackson’s nomination swiftly and without delay. We look forward to mobilizing supporters all over this country to make their voices heard on this matter and #WeHaveHerBack.”
When We All Vote has consistently mobilized its community of grassroots volunteers, corporate leaders and celebrity ambassadors in support of federal voting rights legislation. Last month, founder and Co-Chair Michelle Obama announced that thirty of the nation’s largest civil rights and voting organizations joined When We All Vote in the Fight For Our Vote pledge to recruit and train 100,000 volunteers, register more than one million new voters, organize at least 100,000 Americans to contact their Senators to fight for federal voting rights legislation and more. In 2021, When We all Vote mobilized 20,000 people to contact Congress about voting rights, released a letter signed by more than 60 celebrities and ambassadors calling on Congress to pass federal voting rights legislation and partnered with Vote.org, the Declaration for American Democracy Coalition (DFAD) and more than 90 of the country’s leading corporations in calling on the Senate to pass the For the People Act.
ABOUT When We All Vote:
When We All Vote, an initiative of Civic Nation, is a leading national, nonpartisan initiative on a mission to change the culture around voting and to increase participation in each and every election by helping to close the race and age gap. Created by Michelle Obama, When We All Vote brings together individuals, institutions, brands, and organizations to register new voters across the country and advance civic education for the entire family and voters of every age to build an informed and engaged electorate for today and generations to come. We empower our supporters and volunteers to take action through voting, advocating for their rights, and holding their elected officials accountable.
In 2020, When We All Vote ran a robust, multifaceted campaign and reached more than 100 million people to educate them about the voting process and get them registered and ready to vote. The initiative also led in voter education, registration, and volunteer engagement and as a result, 512,000 people started or completed the voter registration process, and nearly 500 media, corporate, and nonprofit partners joined its efforts.
Michelle Obama launched When We All Vote in 2018 and is joined by fellow Co-Chairs Stephen Curry, Becky G, Selena Gomez, Tom Hanks, H.E.R., Liza Koshy, Jennifer Lopez, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Janelle Monae, Chris Paul, Megan Rapinoe, Shonda Rhimes, Bretman Rock, Kerry Washington and Rita Wilson.
When We All Vote is a key initiative within Civic Nation, a 501(c)(3) organization, and works with Civic Nation Action, a 501(c)(4). These organizations are homes for changemakers who inspire, educate, and activate people around the issues that will define this generation.
ABOUT Civic Nation:
Civic Nation is a nonpartisan, nonprofit home for changemakers who inspire, educate, and activate people around the issues that will define this generation. Civic Nation empowers and educates individuals, companies, institutions and organizations to drive culture, systems, and policy change, working towards a more inclusive and equitable America. Seven initiatives are a part of the Civic Nation family: When We All Vote, United State of Women, ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge, End Rape On Campus, It’s On Us, Made to Save and We The Action. Learn more here.