U.S. Supreme Court rules in favor of Black Alabama voters in unexpected defense of Voting Rights Act

#1

Supreme Court rules in favor of Black Alabama voters in unexpected defense of Voting Rights Act

The U.S. Supreme Court has issued a 5-4 ruling that compels lawmakers in Alabama to redraw congressional districts in order to more equitably represent Black voters. To the surprise of many, in addition to the Court’s three liberal justices, conservative justices John Roberts and Brett Kavanaugh agreed that current maps were in violation of the Voting Rights Act of 1965.

Though roughly 25% of the Alabama population is Black, Republican lawmakers had districted the state such that only one of the seven congressional districts was likely to reflect the will of Black voters. This process, known as gerrymandering, is used throughout the country by partisan lawmakers to unduly tip the scales of elections in their favor.

This surprising ruling will reverberate throughout American politics for years to come, likely also compelling redistricting in Louisiana and potentially many other states, including Georgia, Texas, and South Carolina. With any luck, it’s the first of many judicial rulings to help ensure that our laws and governments reflect the will of the people.

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#2

New York protects “the birds & the bees” with nation-leading pesticides legislation

The Birds and Bees Protection Act bans neonic pesticides uses that provide no economic benefits to users or are replaceable with safer, effective alternatives.

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#3

Shipibo communities create Indigenous guard to protect Peruvian Amazon from deforestation

The “Indigenous guard” (La Guardia Indígena) will carry out patrols across 175 Indigenous communities in the Peruvian Amazon.

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#4

Japanese higher court rules in favor of marriage equality

The ruling adds further pressure on the Japanese parliament to legalize same-sex marriages. Japan remains the only country in the G7 that has not legalized marriage equality.

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#5

Seth Marnin makes history as U.S.’s first out trans male judge

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) has appointed the state’s first out transgender judge and the nation’s first trans man ever to serve on a judicial bench.

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#6

California expands Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library to provide universal access to free books for young children

All California children under 5 will be eligible to receive a free book in the mail every month as the program scales over the next several years.

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#7

World-first space solar demonstration beams power from orbit to Earth

A Caltech team is celebrating the world’s first space-based wireless power transmission and the first time detectable levels of power have been beamed down to Earth.

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#8

U.S. issues 20-year ban on drilling bear Indigenous cultural site in New Mexico

Chaco Culture National Historical Park and the surrounding landscape contain irreplaceable cultural sites where Pueblo and Tribal Nations continue to honor their ancestral customs.

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#9

Switzerland amends law to legally recognize that sex without consent is rape

The amendment follows similar rulings in Denmark and Spain where the law was recently changed to define rape as sexual assault without explicit consent.

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#10

Meningitis vaccine trial in Mali and The Gambia shows promise in “groundbreaking” development

The Serum Institute of India and Path successfully tested an effective and affordable vaccine for meningitis, a disease that claims the lives of an estimated 250,000 people each year.

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Remember

U.S. President Lyndon Johnson signs the Voting Rights Act (1965 C.E.)

According to the U.S. Department of Justice, the Act is considered to be the most effective piece of federal civil rights legislation ever enacted in the country.

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Imagine

U.S. ends partisan gerrymandering through historic federal legislation (2029 C.E. ???)

The historic law requires all states to establish independent, bipartisan redistricting commissions to draw fair statewide district maps after each decennial census.

You cannot be anything you want to be

We often try to inspire ourselves and others by saying that we can be anything we want to be. We can do anything we put our minds to.

This belief can definitely help us break past self-imposed limitations and widen our horizons of possibility. And it can help us build determination and resilience.

Unfortunately, it’s also pretty clearly untrue.

I will never play in the NBA. I will never be a Nobel-winning chemist. I will never be a mother. I cannot walk to China. I cannot breathe underwater. These aspirations are all either physically impossible or simply aren’t possibilities that align with my actual gifts or circumstances in life.

You cannot be anything you want to be. You cannot do anything you put your mind to. Believing so just sets you up to feel like a failure when the reality of your life inevitably falls short of your wildest dreams and aspirations.

But you are the only person ever in the existence of the universe who can be you. And that’s f*cking awesome!

So what does it mean to be you? What would it look like to be the most you you can possibly be? What would it take for that to be enough?

Peter Schulte

Purpose & Leadership Coach

Founder & Executive Director, Spark of Genius

Bellingham, WA USA / Lummi & Nooksack lands

he/they

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