Our Time Is Now: Power, Purpose, and the Fight for a Fair America

by Stacey Abrams

The Black response to suffrage granted by Reconstruction elected Black men at every level of government. Women gained the right to vote in 1920, reversing years of suppression, and their participation rates have continued to rise. The fact that Black, Latino, and AAPI voters showed up in droves in 2018 is proof that voter turnout and voter suppression can operate in tandem, but in relation to each other. Research shows that when voters become aware of suppression activities, if they become angry rather than disheartened, they will take extra steps to defeat it, including by getting out to vote. I liken it to a toy or possession that a bully threatens to take. Human nature says we may not use it very often, but when the wrong person tries to steal it, we’ll fight hard to keep it for ourselves.