The Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) announced today in a press release that it has pledged $100 million over the next decade for non-partisan voter outreach, democracy advocacy, and civic engagement efforts in the Deep South.
The press release announced, “Through a collaborative partnership with the 70-year-old Community Foundation for Greater Atlanta, the SPLC’s Vote Your Voice program supports organizations working in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, and Mississippi.”
“Our Vote Your Voice program began as a robust effort to increase voter registration and turnout, particularly in communities of color who would most benefit from a true inclusive democracy in the South,” said Margaret Huang, President and CEO of the SPLC in the press release. “However, to ensure a government exists that truly is ‘by the people, and for the people,’ we must expand our efforts to push against the anti-democratic statements and actions of many state and local officials in the Deep South. We are thankful for the hard work of all of our grant partners; these organizations’ successes help to empower voters whose rights have been violated for too long.”
The organization pointed to the various voter suppression laws enacted by GOP legislatures over the past few years, listed by the Brennan Center for Justice.
“To paraphrase Amanda Gorman, ‘we are looking to finish our unfinished democracy’ and building an informed and engaged voting population is critical for ensuring a more just and equitable society,” commented Frank Fernandez, president and CEO, Community Foundation for Greater Atlanta. “We are excited about this partnership because the strength of this financial commitment and SPLC’s advocacy helps us recognize that voter engagement reaches far beyond election cycles. It requires systemic change to ensure that everyone who wants to is able to participate in our democracy. It is important that we strengthen organizations that lift up the voices within our electorate that may have felt left out of the process in years past.”
