What is the ‘All Roads Lead to the South’ Day of Action?
Voting rights advocates, faith leaders, and civil rights activists will gather across Alabama and cities nationwide on Saturday, May 16, as part of the “All Roads Lead to the South” National Day of Action for Voting Rights, a coordinated movement centered on protecting Black voting rights and political representation.
The Legal Catalyst: SCOTUS and Redistricting
The demonstrations, organized by voting rights groups and supported by the No Kings Coalition, follow a recent decision by the U.S. Supreme Court to end a lower-court order that required Alabama to maintain two majority-Black congressional districts in the U.S. House of Representatives. The ruling came after the court revisited the case in light of Louisiana v. Callais, a redistricting decision that found Louisiana’s congressional map unconstitutional due to concerns about racial gerrymandering. Voting rights advocates argue the Alabama ruling could weaken Black political influence throughout the South.
“The dismantling of the Voting Rights Act is a reminder that we have unfinished business,” reads a statement on the event’s website.
Coalition Leadership and Advocacy
In a statement, coalition leaders accused Republican-led states of advancing voting restrictions and redistricting strategies that disproportionately impact Black communities.
“What is happening right now is deliberate, coordinated, and being driven by Republican politicians committed to abusing power and rigging the system to hold control for
themselves and silence Black voters,” organizers said, according to the Montgomery Advertiser.Black Voters Matter co-founders Cliff Albright and LaTosha Brown also called for national solidarity ahead of the demonstrations. “The attacks on voting rights across the South are not isolated incidents,” the pair said in a joint statement. “They are part of a coordinated effort to weaken Black political power.”
Event Schedule and Historic Locations
Major events are scheduled in Selma and Montgomery beginning with a prayer gathering at 9 a.m. at the Edmund Pettus Bridge, the site where civil rights activists were brutally attacked during the 1965 Selma Marches that helped pave the way for the passage of the Voting Rights Act. A larger rally is expected later in the day at the Alabama State Capitol in Montgomery. A rally will also be held in Montgomery at 1 p.m.
In a video posted on Instagram, award-winning podcast host, attorney, political strategist, and social justice advocate Angela Rye urged people to show up and support the protest in Alabama.
“I am here
with an urgent message,” said Rye. “We are planning a mass mobilization effort that will take place at Montgomery, Alabama, on next Saturday, May 16th, at 1 p.m. I know some of you are thinking, ‘Why are we going to Montgomery?’ Some of you got to be thinking, it’s hard to get to,” she continued.“Let me tell you what is hard. The times we’re living in right now, where people think they can take our right to vote away, where they think they can take our ability to duly elect a representative of our choosing, where they can eliminate congressional districts that represent our communities. That is what we’re dealing with. And so, what we have to do is think about our ancestors. Think about the many ways in which they sacrificed to ensure that we would have opportunities. That is what this moment requires.”
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