In the new Fall 2023 issue of Learning for Justice magazine, Margaret Huang, president and chief executive officer of the Southern Poverty Law Center, emphasizes that, though challenging, this is also a time of great possibility. Huang explains her hopes: “When I look across our movement today, I see so many people of different races, genders, sexual orientations, abilities and backgrounds showing up as allies for one another in the fight for justice and liberation.
The Voting Rights Act of 1965 (VRA) enabled millions of Black and other voters of color an opportunity to participate in our democracy. Ten years ago, on June 25, 2013, the U.S. Supreme Court decision in Shelby County v. Holder significantly weakened a key provision of the landmark VRA. These LFJ articles remind us of the struggle for voting rights and education and the powerful legacy of Freedom Summer 1964. As we confront current voter suppression and education censorship, let us continue the fight for justice in today's movement.
Dialogue creates opportunities to reach across differences and to engage with and understand one another, without losing the integrity of our work for equity and justice. In the new Fall 2024 Issue of Learning for Justice magazine, the first two features, “Dialogue Across Difference” by Brandon Haas and “The Promise of Building Bridges” by Maia Ferdman and Felicia Graham, examine how dialogue is foundational for civic engagement and democratic collective action and offer a model to foster a culture of meaningful exchange, empathy and critical thinking.