Protecting Voting Rights in Virginia

• In Event: Unpacking Black Political Perspectives

Abstract

Virginia has a long history of restricting the voting rights of African Americans. At the time of the Shelby County decision, the state was judged to be one of the worst with regard to the protection of voting rights. Yet, in the years after the decision voting rights advocates mobilized to push for and ultimately pass a series of laws aimed at easing voting and protecting voting rights – culminating with the 2021 passage of the Voting Rights Act of Virginia. Thus, Virginia stands as a striking contrast to the other former Confederate states impacted by the Shelby County decision. This paper examines the factors that led to this wave of legislation. Based on interviews with legislators, activists and advocates, as well as reviews of media accounts, legislative records and key court cases, we conclude that this unprecedented legislative success can be explained by key characteristics and developments within a voting rights
“eco-system” that consisted of legislators, local activists, statewide civic organizations and national voting rights organizations. The relationships among these actors, their chosen strategies and important contextual factors combined to produce one of the most monumental shifts in voting rights in recent years. Ultimately, however, their achievements remain vulnerable to the actions of public officials and other civic actors who have continued to try to reverse these measures.

Authors

• Donn C. Worgs, Towson University

• Tamelyn Tucker-Worgs, Hood College

• Hoda M. Zaki, Hood College