Tag Archives: Voting Rights Act

Pilgrimage to Montgomery

Posted on November 22, 2021 by Bennett Minton

In Charlottesville, I happened by a bright blue plaque on what was until recently Jackson Park, named for Stonewall Jackson. Also until recently, the park featured an equestrian statue of Jackson, installed 100 years ago, after Paul Goodloe McIntire deeded … Continue reading →

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The lies our textbooks told us

Posted on August 12, 2020 by Bennett Minton

A link to The Washington Post version of my post on the Virginia government’s effort to rewrite history. https://www.washingtonpost.com/outlook/slavery-history-virginia-textbook/2020/07/31/d8571eda-d1f0-11ea-8c55-61e7fa5e82ab_story.html. Published in the Sunday opinion section on August 2, it drew more than 1900 comments. My sampling suggests people were inspired … Continue reading →

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Jim Crow makes a last stand in the Old Dominion

Posted on July 29, 2016 by Bennett Minton

“Don’t boo. Vote.” – President Obama at the Democratic Convention The struggle to do just that goes on, as illustrated by three recent court decisions. In two federal cases, appeals courts struck down voter ID laws in Texas and North … Continue reading →

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Donald Trump gives the GOP its comeuppance

Posted on March 3, 2016 by Bennett Minton

Upon signing the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Bill Moyers related decades later, President Johnson said, “I think we just delivered the South to the Republican Party for a long time to come.” It’s a popular story (though its truth … Continue reading →

Posted in civil rights, election campaign, gerrymandering, Uncategorized, Voting Rights Act | Tagged , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Which path toward a more perfect union?

Posted on February 2, 2016 by Bennett Minton

I’m glad I don’t vote in Iowa – for a ton of reasons, including I don’t have to make a choice today. Most quadrennials, I’m neutral in the primaries, focused on the end game. Eight years ago I was passionate … Continue reading →

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Gerrymandering in Virginia: The legislature gets personal

Posted on August 19, 2015 by Bennett Minton

What happened in the Virginia General Assembly this week is a result of gerrymandering – the political process by which the political parties take care of themselves and ignore their constituents. The events – a state Supreme Court justice and … Continue reading →

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What’s next: equal rights after Indiana

Posted on April 7, 2015 by Bennett Minton

Last week we discovered how far we have come in recognizing the human rights of people who do not identify with sexual norms. As a matter of law, LGBT rights have been ping-ponging between federal and state legislatures and courts … Continue reading →

Posted in Bill of Rights | Tagged , , , , , | 1 Comment

Three speeches and a bump on the road to a more perfect union

Posted on March 4, 2015 by Bennett Minton

In our journey toward a more perfect union, we have witnessed cycles of history since Abraham Lincoln delivered the greatest speech in American history 150 years ago. Two other speeches, 50 years ago this month, complete a cycle of that … Continue reading →

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