Law professor Alicia Hughes decided this year to mark her 50th birthday by hosting a party with purpose. Last Saturday she celebrated by launching the “BlackLawyerISH Movement,” focused on placing 1,000 Black lawyers at polling places across Georgia on Election Day, Nov. 5th. At her celebration, she noted that this movement is not endorsing any candidate. The Voting Rights Act will celebrate its 65th anniversary next year. The original Voting Rights Act wouldn’t recognize the current state of elections in our country after being gutted by the Robert’s Court. I asked Alicia Hughes to join us to speak about this new level of defense against voter suppression.
Hughes explains that “at certain points, you are more reflective” for her turning fifty was such a point. She wanted to do something to contribute. She comes from a family of ministers and civil rights activists. Hughes decided to focus on voter suppression and mentioned that 400,000 young people have aged into new voters since the last cycle.
She speaks about Black Lawyers having an obligation to make sure that voters can carry out their civic duty without fear of intimidation or unwarranted challenges. When asked how voters will recognize the attorney she mentions that they are attempting to provide t-shirts for over 1000 attorneys.
Hughes is calling Black lawyers, paralegals, and law students to reach out to the BlackLawyerISH Movement to sign up to volunteer. Their work will stand in the gaps of other organizations so that more voters can feel safe and secure at their polling places.