The United States incarcerates more people than any other nation in the world. More than 2.3 million Americans are now incarcerated – and 37% of them are Black. In total, 13% of all Black Americans are incarcerated and 1 in 3 Black boys born today will spend time in prison, compared to 1 in every 17 white boys. The United States has long disenfranchised individuals convicted of crimes and in 2022, 4.6 million Americans were barred from voting.
All states deny the right to vote during incarceration and state policies on the enfranchisement of the formerly incarcerated vary widely: Some automatically reinstate voting rights following release while other deny the right to vote until the parole or probation period is complete or require a Governor’s pardon or additional action before voting rights are restored. (It should be noted that in the District of Columbia, those convicted of a felony never lose their right to vote.)
But advocates for the rights of felons and the formerly incarcerated have made substantial inroads and since 1997, over 2 million Americans have had their voting rights restored. Foot Soldiers Park supports the right of all justice-impacted individuals to cast their ballot. We are committed to working in Alabama and across the country to inform those convicted of a felony about their voting rights and to advocate for reforms that expand voting rights for those who have experienced incarceration.
Further Reading on Mass Incarceration:
- American Civil Liberties Unions: Mass Incarceration: An Animated Series
Further Reading on Felon Disenfranchisement:
- National Conference of State Legislatures: Felon Voting Rights
- The Sentencing Project: Expanding the Vote: State Felony Disenfranchisement Reform, 1997-2023
In 2023, three federal judges determined that South Carolina’s gerrymandered First Congressional District voting map was racially motivated and constituted a “bleaching of African American voters” from the district.
The revised map moved more than two-thirds of Black Charlestonians out of the county. Now, the conservative-leaning Supreme Court has decided that the voting map can remain in place. This decision will help normalize racial gerrymandering and make it harder for voting maps to be challenged in the court of law.
Since 2010, the Supreme Court’s decisions have steadily eroded free and fair elections in this country:
- In 2010 the court presided over Citizens United, which enabled corporations to boost their interests at the expense of the interests of everyday Americans. By pouring billions of dollars into candidate elections, corporations gained the ability to influence the policy decisions of lawmakers
- In 2013, the court ripped the heart out of the Voting Rights Act, dismantling Section 5, which required nine mostly Southern states with a history of racially discriminatory voting policies to obtain federal approval before making changes to their voting laws and processes. (The Brennan Center for Justice has shown that the gap between white and nonwhite voter turnout has grown steadily since)
- And in 2019, it ruled that federal courts are barred from hearing partisan gerrymandering cases, allowing ever more flagrantly partisan voting maps
It’s easy to feel helpless in the face of these assaults on our electoral system. But every opportunity we have to cast our vote is an opportunity to elect justices and other officials who are committed to upholding our democracy.
In the May issue of Footprints, we introduced Y.O.U.R.S. (You Owning Up to your Responsibilities to the System), a new initiative designed to engage young people coming of voting age into the process yielded 72 newly registered voters. Since then, the initiative has taken off like wildfire!
During Ms. Bland’s recent trip to Ohio, the Y.O.U.R.S. initiative was adopted by Sojourn Ohio to be implemented in local high schools there in hopes of encouraging youth to vote. But, that’s not all…
The Sacred Commons Church of Ohio has committed to funding the Y.O.U.R.S. program for Foot Soldiers Park and for Sojourn Ohio! In fact, they made their first monthly payment this month. Talk about standing on business!
We are grateful that our call to ignite a fire for our youth in Selma and across the country to be civically engaged is being received and activated. Our next step is the launch of our Standing On Business Collective this July. Today’s youth are tomorrow’s leaders. We must keep the momentum going, but we need your help to do it.
Please make a financial donation today. Every $600 contributed ensures that 20 youth can participate in one of ten workshop sessions we are hosting this year. Thank you in advance for your support.
Ms. Bland has often expressed her dissatisfaction with the portrayal of historical events in textbooks, particularly when it involves a history she lived through. To share a more accurate narrative, she began leading tours in Selma in 1993 through a local nonprofit she cofounded. In 2007, Ms. Bland expanded her mission by launching Journeys for the Soul, an independent venture offering comprehensive tours that delve deeply into the pivotal moments of the Civil Rights Movement and the struggle for voting rights in Selma.
Journeys for the Soul tours offer insights only someone as intimately connected as Ms. Bland can provide. These tours include visits to significant landmarks such as Brown Chapel, the Dallas County Courthouse, the New Live Oak Cemetery, and the site for Foot Soldiers Park and Education Center. Her goal is to leave participants informed and inspired to be change agents for civil and human rights everywhere they go.
Alabama was the front line for both sides of a struggle that came to define post-war America. No visit to this historic state would be complete without due regard to the people who risked everything to overcome its institutionalized injustice.
Jo Ann Bland, Founder & Chief Operating Officer; Child Selma Marcher
April and May have been busy months for tours. Tour reservations have included groups from San Diego, CA, Atlanta, GA, Durham NC, and the Seattle Seahawks! Thanks to The Alabama Tourism Department, Journeys for the Souls also hosted the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
The three-hour tours, personally conducted by Ms. Bland and other foot soldiers, can cater to any group size, from private tours to larger bus groups. Participants frequently report how quickly time flies, a testament to the engaging storytelling and passion.
Additionally, Ms. Bland and her sister, Mrs. Lynda Lowery, offer lectures. Funds raised via Journeys for the Soul support the work of Foot Soldiers Park and Education Center. For more information on booking and pricing, prospective visitors can visit the Journeys for the Soul website here.
I’m Carey Fountain, your new Director of Programs and Partnerships. With a deep-rooted passion for arts administration and community engagement, my journey has been richly shaped by my experiences in Selma, especially during my tenure as Programming Director Intern at ArtsRevive. My work at the Birmingham Museum of Art and initiatives like The Black Cherry Tree Project have honed my skills in creating impactful programs that resonate with community values and historical significance.
I’m thrilled to return to Selma and contribute to preserving its vital civil rights legacy while fostering economic and cultural revitalization. I’m eager to meet all of you and work together to continue the fight for social justice. Please feel free to reach out and say hello at carey@footsoldierspark.org.
Looking forward to making a meaningful difference together!
We were two rounds in on our Community Visioning Sessions when we gathered again in March. During the latest session, the design team presented their initial concept sketches, incorporating the FSP planning and ideas from residents who had participated in previous sessions.
To facilitate interactive discussion, the campus design was segmented into four distinct areas within the meeting space, allowing attendees to circulate, engage with the designers, and offer their feedback and modifications.
Many were pleased to see their proposals from prior sessions come to life in the plans, including ideas for a social media hub, green spaces with trees, casual hangout spots, study areas, a memorial space, a children’s playground, and accessibility for individuals with special needs.
FSP CEO, Kimberly Smitherman, expressed her gratitude towards the community members for their active involvement and contributions. The meeting was a thorough discussion of the visual and functional aspects of the design, including aesthetics, greenery, and the practicality of the layout.
By addressing questions about everything from furniture and texture to spacing and landscaping, the FSP team is committed to realizing a vision that encapsulates the best for Selma residents and visitors.
The gap between white and nonwhite voter turnout has grown steadily since the Supreme Court gutted Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act (VRA) in its 2013 Shelby County v. Holder decision, a new report has found. Section 5 required nine mostly Southern states with a history of racially discriminatory voting policies to obtain federal approval before making changes to their voting laws and processes. The report, which examines the impact of the dismantling of Section 5, found that the gap in voter turnout is growing fastest in states formerly covered by Section 5 – and between white and Black voters in those areas.
On the same day that the Supreme Court announced its Shelby decision, Texas passed a discriminatory voter ID law that had previously been blocked by the federal government. Similar laws designed to disenfranchise Black voters were quickly passed by Alabama, Mississippi and North Carolina.
In the 2022 midterm elections, the gap between white and nonwhite voters reached 18 percent – representing nearly 14 million uncast ballots from voters of color that year.
Read the report: Brennan Center for Justice: Growing Racial Disparities in Voter Turnout, 2008–2022
March has been a busy month for the FSP National Youth Advisory Board (YAB). Take a look at their activities as they strategically move into Phase II of their action plan which focuses on social injustice and advocacy.
YAB took this time as an opportunity to hone in on their Y.O.U.R.S. initiative. Started by Ms. Bland, YOURS stands for You Owning Up (to your) Responsibilities (to the) System. YAB members served as onsite facilitators focused on getting unregistered and eligible 18-year-olds hyped about participating in the voting process. They also took part in a mock trial that dealt with real social injustice issues and other activities during the 59th anniversary of the commemoration of Bloody Sunday and the march from Selma to Montgomery.
Civic education and engagement are requirements for YAB. Members fulfilled this obligation recently by participating in full-day hosted events at the University of Alabama Law School and the State Capitol. They tackled real issues related to social injustices and voter suppression. In addition, YAB had the awesome opportunity to interact with original foot soldiers who participated in the 1965 movement that made history.
Back to Selma, YAB jumped in to support FSP’s 3rd-anniversary activities. In five days, the group added the following accomplishments to their growing list:
- Completed a service project painting a shelter for homeless citizens
- Traveled to two cities for professional development
- Hosted a parent welcome reception
- Facilitated a panel discussion with the Alabama Conference of Black Mayors
- Sat in a courtroom and defense, prosecution, and jury
- Marched in the annual Jubilee parade
- Greeted attendees at the Excellence Brunch of Salute Selma
- Marched in the Annual Bridge Crossing and remembrance of Bloody Sunday
This deserves applause, appreciation, and support. Kudos to our YAB for showing up and showing out! Your financial support helps us keep the dream alive for YAB!
Congresswoman Terri Sewell invited Foot Soldiers Park Founder and COO, Jo Ann Bland to join other distinguished guests on March 7, watching the President of the United States deliver the State of the Union address live from the U.S. Capitol Building!
It was an honor well deserved as Ms. Bland has dedicated much of her life from childhood to now fighting for civil rights. Ms. Bland’s presence at the event serves as a poignant reminder of the continued importance of grassroots movements in shaping the nation’s political discourse.