There is still a fight to protect our voting rights.
And that fight is happening in California right now.
A proposed statewide voter initiative would require government-issued identification to vote and expand voter list verification requirements across the state.
This moment is not new.
In 1850, California’s constitution restricted voting to white men. Black Californians were excluded from the ballot even as they lived and worked across the state.
Access expanded only through sustained struggle — from the Fifteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution, to the Voting Rights Act of 1965, to protections strengthened by the California Voting Rights Act.
History shows something clearly:
Voting rights are never permanent.
They expand through organizing and law — and they can be restricted through policy.
The rules that shape who votes are still being written.
Understanding this history is part of protecting our future.
Share this post to keep the fight for our voting rights visible.
“We have lost gas, we have lost electricity, but we have NOT lost power!” - Kevin Cosney.
We stood in solidarity with Pastor Kerwin, at the historic First AME Church in Pasadena, Kevin Cosney from CA Black Power Network, and hundreds of leaders from faith-based, community, labor, grassroots, and Indigenous groups at the. We gathered to demand a fair and equitable recovery for survivors of California’s devastating wildfires.
The voices in that room represented countless people who have lost homes, jobs, and small businesses. Together, we urged LA County and elected officials to provide timely and just support, protect vulnerable communities, and prioritize long-term, sustainable solutions for all Angelenos.
The stories shared were powerful reminders of our people’s strength and the urgency to continue this fight. We must keep pushing for the changes our communities deserve.
Please consider supporting our partners Essie Justice @essie4justice and Dignity & Power Now @dignityandpowernow , whose mutual aid efforts are directly assisting those affected by the fires.
Also click the link in our bio for additional resources!
#BeautyWillRise #DenaStrong
The 2026 @blkpowernetwork voter guide is live.
Before June 2nd, Black Californians deserve to walk into the voting booth knowing exactly what's on the ballot and where candidates stand on the issues that affect our communities.
That's what this is for. Link in bio.
🗳️ #Vote2026 #BlackVotersMatter #CAPrimary #BlackPoliticalPower #BlackWorkers
📣 WEBINAR: What can a redlined community’s historic win teach us about advancing civil rights today?
When the Eaton Fire exposed evacuation disparities in West Altadena, fire-impacted Black women leaders built a local multicultural movement demanding accountability. Through a year-long fight, @altadenaforaccountability won the first-ever civil rights investigation following a climate disaster in U.S. history. Join us to hear insights from the lead organizers who made this historic win and learn what’s next in their work towards reparations for fire survivors.
A Case Study for Hope: How Local Organizing Won A Civil Rights First.
• Wednesday, June 3 | 11:30am - 1pm PST
• Zoom | Register today at bit.ly/A4AWEBINAR (link in bio)
featured orgs: @essie4justice , @altadenarising , @blkpowernetwork , @endchildpovca
sponsors: @movementinnovationcollab , @borealisphilanthropy
Every 1% increase in Black voter turnout adds tens of thousands of votes. That’s not symbolic. That’s power.
Local elections shape decisions about housing, policing, schools, healthcare, transportation, and who holds power in our communities.
City council seats can flip. Harmful initiatives can be stopped. Judges and District Attorneys who shape everyday outcomes can be elected, or removed.
Too often, people act like local elections don’t matter.
In reality, they are some of the most consequential decisions we make.
Your vote is a key part of the strategy for communities protect themselves, advocate for resources, and shape policy.
🗳️ California voter registration deadline: May 18
Register to vote at: registertovote.ca.gov
Comment “JOIN” to receive CalEquity updates and resources on voting rights and upcoming elections.
#VoteCA #calequity #VotingRights #CommunityPower #CaliforniaElections
From Selma to Sacramento — the fight for Black votes has never been a Southern issue, it’s always been an American one. We stand with the South.
California fights back. June 2nd.
🗳️blackpowernetwork.com/voter-guide-2026
The Voting Rights Act of 1965 ended the authoritarian Jim Crow regime that denied equal citizenship for millions of Black Americans. Because of these MAGA cuts to our voting rights, up to 30% of Black caucus members could lose their seats in congress.
And we’re witnessing rampant unconstitutional redistricting to dilute Black voting power happen across the South at record speeds. But the South isn’t going down without a fight, and California is here in ultimate solidarity!
Which is why we’re inviting you to join We Are California for an urgent virtual training on 5/20 where we break down what’s really at stake in the 2026 elections tonight at 6pm.
More importantly, we will share what we can all do to stand up for our right to vote.
Together, we’ll make meaning of this critical moment, connect the dots between politics and our communities, and make a plan to secure our vote.
We’ll also introduce the Can’t Stop CA campaign and how you can plug in right now, whether by joining local Party to the Polls events or stepping up as an Election Protector. This is more than a conversation, it’s a call to action to organize, mobilize, and shape the future of California.
Stay tuned for more details!
Jim Crow never left. It just changed forms.
On April 29th — the same night Black California held its Governor Candidate Forum — the Supreme Court dealt a 6-3 blow to the Voting Rights Act of 1965. Civil rights advocates are calling it “Jim Crow 2.0.” Within hours, governors across southern states called emergency legislative sessions to redraw congressional maps and eliminate Black congressional districts.
This is not just a southern problem. This ruling opens the door everywhere.
California has its own Voting Rights Act. Our districts are protected differently. But who leads this state determines how hard we fight back — in court, in policy, and against federal overreach.
Your ballot should be in your mailbox right now. Fill it out. Return it. Don’t wait.
🗳 Mail it early — USPS is slower now
📦 Drop it at a secure drop box
🏢 Vote in person at a vote center
📖 Know who’s on your ballot: blackpowernetwork.org/voter-guide-2026
📅 Registration deadline: May 18th
🗳 Election Day: June 2nd
#BlackCalifornia #JimCrow #VotingRights #BlackVotersMatter #GovernorCandidateForum #CaliforniaPolitics #BlackPowerNetwork
We are California. Dreamers and doers, caregivers and workers, neighbors from every walk of life. When we vote, we show the rest of the country what's possible.
Voting season is here. You can drop your ballot off starting May 5!
June 2nd is the last day to vote, not the first.
Today is May Day.
Thousands of people across the country are refusing to work, shop, or go to school today — not because it's a holiday, but because it's an act of resistance. Workers, students, and families are taking action to demand a nation that puts workers over billionaires. No ICE. No war. No private army serving authoritarian power. Expand democracy. Hands off our vote.
In Los Angeles, the largest May Day protest is happening at MacArthur Park — with over 120 organizations and unions behind it. This is what collective power looks like in action.
Black Californians have always been in this fight. And we have another tool coming in 3 days.
Your ballot arrives May 4th. The June 2nd primary puts the people making decisions on housing, workers' rights, education, and democracy directly in your hands.
Today we march. June 2nd we vote.
🗳 Your ballot arrives May 4th
📅 Registration deadline: May 18th
🗳 Election Day: June 2nd
📖 Voter Guide: blackpowernetwork.org/voter-guide-2026
#MayDay #MayDayStrong #BlackCalifornia #BlackVotersMatter #CaliforniaPolitics #BlackPowerNetwork
Black California showed up. Now it’s time to move.
The Black Ecosystem Alliance brought six Black organizations across California together to hold gubernatorial candidates accountable on housing, education, real safety, reparations, health equity, and democracy. Seven candidates answered directly to Black voters.
Now we are informed. Now we make informed decisions.
June 2nd is one month away. If you haven’t watched the full forum — link is in our bio. Share it with everyone in your community before they head to the polls.
🗳 Voter Guide: blackpowernetwork.org/voter-guide-2026
#BlackCalifornia #GovernorCandidateForum #BlackVotersMatter #CaliforniaPolitics #BlackPowerNetwork
The Supreme Court just gutted Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act.
Section 2 is the law used to challenge voting maps and rules that discriminate and dilute the voting power of communities of color.
📣 THIS MAKES IT EASIER FOR STATES TO:
➡️ Split up communities across different districts
➡️ Draw maps that weaken their voting power and ability to form a majority
➡️ Make it harder to elect representatives of their choice
➡️ Avoid accountability for discriminatory maps in court
This is voter suppression and it’s been used for decades to reduce diverse representation. Now it’s harder to stop.
When this happens, our communities have less influence over decisions about housing, schools, healthcare, and who gets what resources.
📲 Repost this and send it to 3 people.
📣 Comment “JOIN” to stay informed and learn more about your rights ahead of the midterm elections.
