Experts discuss race, disenfranchisement

Students, faculty and members of the greater Los Angeles community gathered at Covel Commons to hear speeches on the rights of voters in the United States and learn what voters can do to protect these rights on Saturday.

The event, called “Coloring the Vote: Race, Politics, and Disenfranchisement,” brought experts on voting rights from throughout the UCLA community, with representatives from the Ralph J. Bunche Center for African American Studies, the Chicano Studies Research Center, the Asian American Studies Center and the Mexican American Legal Defense Fund.

The conference was cosponsored by an assortment of student and institutional organizations and individuals in support of diversity and equality both on campus and in the broader state and national capacities.

Attendees of the conference’s morning events heard an address from Greg Palast, an investigative reporter for BBC’s “Newsnight” and “The Observer” whose research and writing uncovered the disenfranchisement of thousands of voters, many of whom are part of minority ethnic and racial groups, in recent U.S. presidential elections.

Palast, who was the keynote speaker for the event, told of his experiences researching and publicizing the many problems that voters face, especially minority voters in the United States.

He described the systematic efforts on the part of various figures in the U.S. government to prevent minority groups from voting.

Palast also highlighted the impact that these disenfranchised voters might have had on the course of American politics over the past several decades if they had not been kept from voting or if their votes had not been disqualified for various reasons.

“The goal of the event is to really open people’s eyes about some of the irregularities that have existed in the last few elections and that probably go much earlier as well,” said Darnell Hunt, professor of sociology and director of the Bunche Center.

Hunt spoke of the problems that still exist in the American electoral system even decades after the passage of the Voting Rights Act.

“Unfortunately, despite the image we have of our country as this great democracy, and despite the progress that people feel we’ve made since the passage of the Voting Rights Act in 1965, there are some real troubling patterns that still exist that work to disenfranchise voters of color,” he said.

Hunt said that one of the most important things that voters and citizens can do to help correct these problems is to hold elected officials responsible for their actions. Hunt also said that the Democratic Party has not been outspoken enough about what many have called the “unfair elections” of 2000 and 2004.

“I think that we need to hold those who supposedly represent us more accountable for what’s happening and demand that they put their cards on the table and promote frank and open, uncomfortable discussions about these things,” Hunt said. “A substantial number of votes are at risk out there. And whether that will be enough to make the difference that those who are attempting to rig the elections hope it will make, I don’t know.”

Speakers and organizers of the event also criticized mainstream media outlets in the United States. Several said reporting failures perpetuate such problems and that appropriate coverage of so-called “fraudulent voting practices and injustices” within the voting system would greatly promote just elections.

As Palast said of mainstream journalists in his speech, “It’s amazing what you’ll see when you look.”

Chon Noriega, professor of film, television and digital media and director of the UCLA Chicano Studies Research Center, said that the failure of media organizations in the United States to shed light on these issues is becoming increasingly evident.

“You can certainly see the frustration with a reporter like Palast, where the U.S.-based media are not paying attention to this,” Noriega said. “They’re not following it.”

Noriega said that for the current election, much must be done to prevent such injustices from affecting minority voters in the United States.

To prevent those injustices, Noriega said, the event sought to include lawyers and elected officials who are currently working to protect voters and the viability of the system.

Nancy Ramirez, a regional counsel for the Mexican American Legal Defense Fund, spoke about the Voting Rights Act and about potential changes to the act that might help remedy many of the problems at hand.

“It was important for us not just to look at this as an academic or historical issue, but to bring in people like Nancy who are actively challenging many of these practices and drawing attention to many of the key issues,” Noriega said.

Ramirez spoke of the work that she is doing to help protect voters, and was insistent that citizens be actively involved in the monitoring of the upcoming election.

“I think that it’s critical that we remain vigilant in terms of monitoring the electoral process, monitoring the Voting Rights Act and ensuring that it continues to provide the protections that it was intended to provide,” Ramirez said.

Ramirez said that civil rights attorneys mobilizing in preparation for the election. Law firms are also being asked to coordinate with organizations such as the defense fund, to be on the ground monitoring the elections and taking legal action when necessary to ensure that the rights of voters are not being compromised.

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