"All Roads Lead to the South" - Personal  Observations & Commentary

In news video and photos of the "All Roads Lead to the South" event held at the Alabama State Capitol in Montgomery, it was difficult to adequately capture the many thousand of attendees.  The Capitol grounds are quite large and many attendees sought refuge under shade trees at the periphery to escape the heat & sun.  Many spectators were from adjacent states (TN, GA, MS, FL) with some arriving by bus.  There were information booths from various civil rights, voting rights, and legal organizations from across the Southeast.  Speakers included local and state leaders, Bernice King (the daughter of Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.), along with many Democratic lawmakers from around the nation.  Democratic speakers included U.S. Senators Corey Booker and Raphael Warnock, Alabama U.S. House Representatives Terri Sewell and Shomari Figures, and many other U.S. House Representives, including Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.

The event was organized as a "National Day of Action" to fight recent attacks on voting rights and fair minority voting representation, and specifically,  Republican state legislatures' redrawing of congressional districts in the South to dilute minority voting power/influence.  The Montgomery event location, along with a similar event in Selma, were selected because Selma and Montgomery were the start/end points of the historic 1965 civil rights march that led directly to the 1965 Voting Rights Act.  Similar events in the future are planned in other southern states.

The event was not just a protest, or a recreation of an historical event.  It was a call for citizens to fight back in 2026 for their right to vote and to be represented, in light of a recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling gutting the protections of the Voting Rights Act.  It was pointed out that this fight will continue in the courts, at the polls, peacefully in the streets ("good trouble"), and where one decides to spend (or not spend) one's money.  There were calls to "organize and mobilize" and exert political & economic power to hold accountable those who would try to take that power away.   There were chants (vocal reminders) that "We're Not Going Back!" to the "Jim Crow" era,  with no minority representation in Congress or in the statehouse.  Many of the attendees were White, but they were there partly because they knew that denial of minority voting rights is an attack on democracy that could eventually result in denial of their own rights.

The event was very inspirational.  There was an historical context, an acknowledgement of the sacrifices of the 1965 voting rights struggle.  But there was also a realization that the struggle continues today, and, in fact, the threat has grown in recent years as the Trump administration rolls back civil rights protections, fights diversity and inclusion,  encourages racial and ethnic prejudice, and  tries to deny constitutionally protected rights and citizenship.

The event was amazingly well organized, with excellent security, safety, and provision of food & water.   A national coalition of over 90 civil and voting rights, faith, legal, labor, and community organizations were involved, including the NAACP, the Alabama ACLU, and the Southern Poverty Law Center.

The organizing coalition, event speakers from around the country, Democratic members of Congress, and the thousands of attendees were in Montgomery and Selma because they wished to protect the voting rights and political representation of all American citizens.  They called for ACTION.

Will YOU take the necessary action to protect voting rights, civil rights, legal rights, and all constitutionally protected personal rights that seem to be under attack these days?  

How you chose to take action is your personal choice.  Personally, I have chozen to volunteer with the Democratic Party in Dale County, because, among other reasons, I believe that the candidates of today's Democratic Party care about voting rights.  Most existing minority lawmakers belong to the Democratic Party, and the large Democratic lawmaker presence at the Montogmery rally confirms the Party's committment to voting rights protection.

If you would like to volunteer with the Dale County Democratic Party, you can do so at our Volunteer Page.  There, you will find a form to provide your contact information and to indicate which volunteer activities you are interested in.

If you would like to contribute funds to support our Dale County Democratic Party, or other specific candidates/organizations through Act/Blue, please go to our Contribute Page.

Rick Skeen

5/22/26