Thursday, Jul 18, 2024 7:00 PM

Location:
The Jimmy Carter Presidential Library
441 John Lewis Freedom Parkway, NE
Atlanta, Georgia 30307

An urgent and gripping look at the erosion of voting rights and its implications for democracy, told through the stories of 9 Supreme Court decisions—and the next looming case.

The Jimmy Carter Presidential Library and A Cappella Books welcome author Joshua A. Douglas to discuss his important new book, "The Court v. The Voters: The Troubling Story of How the Supreme Court Has Undermined Voting Rights." Douglas will appear in conversation with Steve Suitts, author of "A War of Sections: How Deep South Political Suppression Shaped Voting Rights in America."

This event is free and open to the public. Copies of the book will be available for purchase at the venue. Masks are optional.

About the Book

In "The Court v. The Voters," law professor Joshua Douglas takes us behind the scenes of significant cases in voting rights—some surprising and unknown, some familiar—to investigate the historic crossroads that have irrevocably changed our elections and the nation. In crisp and accessible prose, Douglas tells the story of each case, sheds light on the intractable election problems we face as a result, and highlights the unique role the highest court has played in producing a broken electoral system.

Douglas charts infamous cases like:

• Bush v. Gore, which opened the door to many election law claims
• Citizens United, which contributed to skewed representation—but perhaps not in the way you might think
• Shelby County v. Holder, which gutted the vital protections of the Voting Rights Act
• Crawford v. Marion County Elections Board, which allowed states to enforce voter ID laws and make it harder for people to vote

"The Court v. The Voters" powerfully reminds us of the tangible, real-world effects from the Court’s voting rights decisions. While we can—and should—lament the democracy that might have been, Douglas argues that we can—and should—double down in our efforts to protect the right to vote.

About the Author

Joshua A. Douglas is a law professor at the University of Kentucky College of Law and legal expert invested and engaged in helping everyday people understand our elections. His media commentaries have appeared in the New York Times, CNN, Washington Post, LA Times, USA Today, Reuters, Politico, The Atlantic, Huffington Post, and Slate, among others, and he has been quoted in major newspapers and on NPR stations throughout the country. He is the author of a previous book, "Vote For US: How to Take Back Our Elections and Change the Future of Voting."

About the Conversation Partner

Steve Suitts is an adjunct at the Institute for Liberal Arts of Emory University and has been chief strategist for Better Schools Better Jobs, a Mississippi-based education advocacy project of the New Venture Fund. Suitts began his career as a staff member of the Selma Project. He was founding director of the Alabama Civil Liberties Union; the executive director of the Southern Regional Council; and program coordinator, vice president, and senior fellow of the Southern Education Foundation. He is the author of "Hugo Black of Alabama: How His Roots and Early Career Shaped the Great Champion of the Constitution" and "Overturning Brown: The Segregationist Legacy of the Modern School Choice Movement." He was the executive producer and one of the writers of "Will the Circle Be Unbroken," a thirteen-hour public radio series that received a Peabody Award.