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The Southernization of America

This book explores the phenomenon of "southernization" in America, focusing on issues such as right to work, personhood, and voter suppression. It examines the impact of these policies on various marginalized groups, including seniors, women, Latinos, African-Americans, and the poor. The book also delves into the role of prisons and the prison industrial complex in perpetuating voter suppression. It provides historical context on the history of felon disenfranchisement laws and discusses their impact on voting rights. Additionally, it explores the ways in which immigration and personhood intersect with voter suppression. The book concludes with a call to action, urging readers to advocate for the protection and expansion of voting rights, the restoration of voting rights for ex-felons, and other progressive policies.

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The Southernization of America

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  1. The Southernization of America How Right to Work, Personhood and Voter Suppression are the New ALEC Crow

  2. The “Southernization” of America • Right to Work • School to Prison Pipeline • Prison Industrial Complex • Anti-immigration Legislation • War on Women • Privatization of Public Education • Voter Suppression • Child Labor

  3. Treating the New Majority as the Old Minority • Seniors • Women • Latinos • African-Americans • The Poor

  4. Role of Prisons • Census re-apportionment • Prisons in rural communities are households and transfer census numbers from urban to rural communities

  5. Immigration and Personhood • Reduces labor competition from immigrants • Reduces labor competition from women

  6. Forms of Voter Suppression • Felon Disenfranchisement • Photo ID/Proof of Citizenship • Impediments to Registration/Absentee Voting • Disinformation • Voting Patterns (straight ticket voting) • Purging voter rolls/Caging

  7. Voter Suppression Targets • Seniors • Students/Young People • Poor People • People of Color • Immigrants • Ex-Offenders

  8. Felon Disenfranchisement History • Although Congress passed the Voting Rights Act in 1965 to reinforce the 15th Amendment, felony disfranchisement laws remained legal and began to multiply. • 1850: 35% of states had felony disfranchisement laws. • 2008: 95% of states have felony disfranchisement laws.

  9. Felon Disenfranchisement • Felony disfranchisement laws prevent 1.4 million or 13% of all black men in the U.S. from voting. • In 5 states that disfranchise people with felony convictions, 1 in 4 black men are permanently disfranchised. • In New York, over 16 times as many Latino voters are disenfranchised as white voters.

  10. Where States Stand

  11. 5 Million Affected by Voter Suppression

  12. Voter Suppression Breakdown • 3.2 million – Photo Id • 240,000 – Proof of citizenship • 202,000 – Restrictive voter registration procedures • 60,000 – Repeal of Election Day registration • 1-2 million – Restrictions on early voting • 100,000 – Former felony convictions

  13. How This Affects the 2012 Election • The states that have already cut back on voting rights will provide 171 electoral votes in 2012 – 63 percent of the 270 needed to win the presidency. • Of the 12 battleground states, 5 have restricted voting and 2 additional states have pending legislation

  14. Virginia Fights Back and Wins! • 26 voter suppression bills introduced in 2012 General Assembly • 3 are still alive • Photo ID was defeated

  15. Virginia Strategy • Rapid coalition building • Constant presence at General Assembly • Virginia won over the press • Legislative Black Caucus joined the coalition • Fought legislation on cost rather than morality

  16. Where We Need to Go • Move from States’ rights legislation to People’s rights legislation • Elect progressive legislators and progressive judges • The individual struggles are part of a larger single struggle – we must unite in our efforts • The 99% against the 1%

  17. The New 21st Century Civil Rights Agenda • Create Jobs for Everyone who wants to work • Protect Medicare, Social Security and Medicaid • Constitutional Equal Rights for Women • Universal Healthcare for All • Comprehensive Immigration Reform • Protect and Expand Voting Rights • Restoration of Voting Rights for Ex-Felons • Restore Roe v. Wade as law of the land • Protect Public Education

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