Thursday, October 15
7:00pm – 8:30pm

Free

All alumni, parents, and friends are invited to join us for the Service Committee’s next Activist Lit topic, an online meeting to discuss issues of voter suppression, moderated by the creators of the Small Power Podcast, Sasha Friedman (DAR ‘15), and Martine Chaussard. Their podcast is dedicated to informing others about local government and how people can use their time, money, and votes to make an impact on local issues that matter most.

To participate, we recommend:

Reading One Person, No Vote, written by New York Times bestselling author Carol Anderson. This powerful book is a “disturbing drill down into how the right to vote is being slowly destroyed with too few of us noticing.” (The Washington Post)
Viewing ALL IN: The Fight for Democracy, a new documentary about Stacey Abrams run for Georgia’s gubernatorial race, premiering in September
Space is limited so please sign up ASAP. Zoom meeting login instructions will be provided only to registrants and not published online.

*Activist Lit was created to gather Hoos to read about and discuss a social issue. However, if you don’t have a chance to read or finish the book or view the movie, you are still welcome to join the discussion!

More About the Book:
PEN/John Kenneth Galbraith Award for Non-Fiction Finalist, National Book Award Longlist for Non-Fiction

In her New York Times bestseller White Rage, Carol Anderson laid bare an insidious history of policies that have systematically impeded black progress in America, from 1865 to our combustible present. With One Person, No Vote, she chronicles a related history: the rollbacks to African American participation in the vote since the 2013 Supreme Court decision that eviscerated the Voting Rights Act of 1965. Known as the Shelby ruling, this decision effectively allowed districts with a demonstrated history of racial discrimination to change voting requirements without approval from the Department of Justice.

Focusing on the aftermath of Shelby, Anderson follows the astonishing story of government-dictated racial discrimination unfolding before our very eyes as more and more states adopt voter suppression laws. In gripping, enlightening detail she explains how voter suppression works, from photo ID requirements to gerrymandering to poll closures. And with vivid characters, she explores the resistance: the organizing, activism, and court battles to restore the basic right to vote to all Americans.

More About the Film:
In anticipation of the 2020 presidential election, ALL IN: THE FIGHT FOR DEMOCRACY examines the often overlooked, yet insidious issue of voter suppression in the United States. The film interweaves personal experiences with current activism and historical insight to expose a problem that has corrupted our democracy from the very beginning. With the perspective and expertise of Stacey Abrams, the former Minority Leader of the Georgia House of Representatives, the documentary offers an insider’s look into laws and barriers to voting that most people don’t even know is a threat to their basic rights as citizens of the United States. Coming to theaters Sept. 9, on Prime Video Sept. 18.

More About the Speakers:
Small Power tells stories about the surprising and often hidden power behind local offices and issues in Georgia. As the news becomes more focused on national politics, they are interested in the people and systems that impact their daily lives. These stories will give voice to the people behind the politics, the issues that impact local communities, and the ways that one can impact them. Read more about Martine and Sasha here. Listen and subscribe to their episodes here.

Zoom information to join will be emailed to registrants before the event.

For more information on this event, please contact Katrina Foelsche (CLAS ’99) or Laura Plattner (CLAS ’04) at uvaservice@dchoos.org.

*Note: These events are being recorded by audio, video, and photographic means. By participating, you grant the University of Virginia the right to use your voice/likeness in any depiction of these events, including sharing on social media. Video is not required to participate in this event. Please reach out to uvaclubs@virginia.edu if you have any questions.

This event is #open to all alumni, parents, and friends. #BookClub

Register here!