Activism

COMMENTARY: Redistricting is Voter Suppression Too

We’ve all heard about the restrictive voter suppression laws that far-right state legislatures are passing. We’ve heard about the crackdowns on voting hours and mail-in voting, and even on giving food and water to voters in long lines. But we don’t hear enough about redistricting as another weapon being used to intimidate voters and keep us from exercising our constitutional rights. It is erasing us from Congress and state legislatures. We need to call it out and challenge it where we see it.

Published

3 years ago

August 27, 2022

Oakland Post

Ben Jealous serves as president of People For the American Way and Professor of the Practice at the University of Pennsylvania.

Ben Jealous serves as president of People for the American Way and Professor of Practice in the Africana Studies Department at the University of Pennsylvania where he teaches leadership.

By Ben Jealous

When Charles Diggs, Jr. won election to Congress in Michigan’s 13th District in 1954, he launched nearly seven decades in which the city of Detroit had at least one Black member of Congress. That’s likely to change this year. Because of redistricting, Detroit no longer has majority-Black congressional districts. And in the first primary election with newly drawn district lines, a Black candidate did not win the Democratic contest in the heavily Democratic 13th. That means the city is likely to lack Black representation in Congress for the first time in decades.

Redistricting is robbing Black candidates and voters of years of hard fought for opportunities. In Detroit, new districts merged Black areas of the city with white neighborhoods across 8 Mile Road. The city stands to lose Black representation in Congress and have less representation in the state legislature. Knowing what the impact could be, voters have spoken out forcefully against the new redistricting maps from pulpits to street corners to the state capitol and even before the state courts.

Sadly, Michigan is not alone. The New York Times reported in August that this year, “judges in Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana and Ohio have found that Republican legislators illegally drew those states’ congressional maps along racial or partisan lines, or that a trial very likely would conclude that they did.” But elections are moving forward anyway.

Calling out and challenging means organizing, litigating, and legislating. It means supporting national and local organizations that unite communities against racist gerrymandering and seek justice in the courts. They might not win every case, but advocacy and activism are essential to righting this wrong.

We must also keep voting, running for office, and educating. My organization, People For the American Way, houses an African American Religious Affairs network that has reaffirmed for more than a decade that “every election matters and every vote counts” — and that includes primaries. For Black ministers in our network, voting and civic participation are acts of faith and so much more. As Reverend Dr. Steve Bland, Jr., pastor of Liberty Temple Baptist Church in Detroit said, “It’s not about left or right. Splitting Detroit into two districts was an insult. But we have faith and must “deal with our self-interest by voting in every election!”

I know that a lot of media coverage of this summer’s primaries has focused on one big question: will Trump-style, MAGA candidates win or lose? But there’s another question that needs to be asked: how harmful are the impacts of redistricting on our communities in this year’s elections and those to come? The current reality dictates that we do not sit out any election. We need to resolutely register, educate, motivate and turn out voters. In every election. Every time.

Ben Jealous serves as president of People for the American Way and Professor of Practice in the Africana Studies Department at the University of Pennsylvania where he teaches leadership.

Oakland Post

Posts by Oakland Post

Up Next

COMMENTARY: Earthquake Would Say No To Liz Cheney

Don't Miss

Black Mayors of Inglewood and Fontana Applaud Millions in Funds Awarded as Part of RAISE Grant Program

Oakland Post

Click to comment

Activism

OP-ED: AB 1349 Puts Corporate Power Over Community

Since Ticketmaster and Live Nation merged in 2010, ticket prices have jumped more than 150 percent. Activities that once fit a family’s budget now take significant disposable income that most working families simply don’t have. The problem is compounded by a system that has tilted access toward the wealthy and white-collar workers. If you have a fancy credit card, you get “presale access,” and if you work in an office instead of a warehouse, you might be able to wait in an online queue to buy a ticket. Access now means privilege.

Published

1 week ago

January 9, 2026

Oakland Post

Bishop Joseph Simmons, Senior Pastor, Greater St. Paul Baptist Church, Oakland

By Bishop Joseph Simmons, Senior Pastor, Greater St. Paul Baptist Church, Oakland

As a pastor, I believe in the power that a sense of community can have on improving people’s lives. Live events are one of the few places where people from different backgrounds and ages can share the same space and experience – where construction workers sit next to lawyers at a concert, and teenagers enjoy a basketball game with their grandparents. Yet, over the past decade, I’ve witnessed these experiences – the concerts, games, and cultural events where we gather – become increasingly unaffordable, and it is a shame.

These moments of connection matter as they form part of the fabric that holds communities together. But that fabric is fraying because of Ticketmaster/Live Nation’s unchecked control over access to live events. Unfortunately, AB 1349 would only further entrench their corporate power over our spaces.

Power over live events is concentrated in a single corporate entity, and this regime operates without transparency or accountability – much like a dictator. Ticketmaster controls 80 percent of first-sale tickets and nearly a third of resale tickets, but they still want more. More power, more control for Ticketmaster means higher prices and less access for consumers. It’s the agenda they are pushing nationally, with the help of former Trump political operatives, who are quietly trying to undo the antitrust lawsuit launched against Ticketmaster/Live Nation under President Biden’s DOJ.

That’s why I’m deeply concerned about AB 1349 in its current form. Rather than reining in Ticketmaster’s power, the bill risks strengthening it, aligning with Trump. AB 1349 gives Ticketmaster the ability to control a consumer’s ticket forever by granting Ticketmaster’s regime new powers in state law to prevent consumers from reselling or giving away their tickets. It also creates new pathways for Ticketmaster to discriminate and retaliate against consumers who choose to shop around for the best service and fees on resale platforms that aren’t yet controlled by Ticketmaster. These provisions are anti-consumer and anti-democratic.

California has an opportunity to stand with consumers, to demand transparency, and to restore genuine competition in this industry. But that requires legislation developed with input from the community and faith leaders, not proposals backed by the very company causing the harm.

Will our laws reflect fairness, inclusion, and accountability? Or will we let corporate interests tighten their grip on spaces that should belong to everyone? I, for one, support the former and encourage the California Legislature to reject AB 1349 outright or amend it to remove any provisions that expand Ticketmaster’s control. I also urge community members to contact their representatives and advocate for accessible, inclusive live events for all Californians. Let’s work together to ensure these gathering spaces remain open and welcoming to everyone, regardless of income or background.

Oakland Post

Posts by Oakland Post

Activism

Oakland Post: Week of December 31, 2025 – January 6, 2026

The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of – December 31, 2025 – January 6, 2026

Published

2 weeks ago

January 2, 2026

Oakland Post

To enlarge your view of this issue, use the slider, magnifying glass icon or full page icon in the lower right corner of the browser window.

Oakland Post

Posts by Oakland Post

Activism

Big God Ministry Gives Away Toys in Marin City

Pastor Hall also gave a message of encouragement to the crowd, thanking Jesus for the “best year of their lives.” He asked each of the children what they wanted to be when they grow up.

Published

3 weeks ago

December 29, 2025

Oakland Post

From top left: Pastor David Hall asking the children what they want to be when they grow up. Worship team Jake Monaghan, Ruby Friedman, and Keri Carpenter. Children lining up to receive their presents. Photos by Godfrey Lee.

By Godfrey Lee

Big God Ministries, pastored by David Hall, gave toys to the children in Marin City on Monday, Dec. 15, on the lawn near the corner of Drake Avenue and Donahue Street.

Pastor Hall also gave a message of encouragement to the crowd, thanking Jesus for the “best year of their lives.” He asked each of the children what they wanted to be when they grew up.

Around 75 parents and children were there to receive the presents, which consisted mainly of Gideon Bibles, Cat in the Hat pillows, Barbie dolls, Tonka trucks, and Lego building sets.

A half dozen volunteers from the Big God Ministry, including Donnie Roary, helped to set up the tables for the toy giveaway. The worship music was sung by Ruby Friedman, Keri Carpenter, and Jake Monaghan, who also played the accordion.

Big God Ministries meets on Sundays at 10 a.m. at the Mill Valley Community Center, 180 Camino Alto, Mill Valley, CA Their phone number is (415) 797-2567.