"Then you ask yourself, why do we have this architecture of all of these obstacles - voter ID, gerrymandering, purging, poll closures - why do we have all of this if voter fraud is virtually nonexistent? When you ask that question that way, then it leads you down a path where America must look at itself again, the way that it looked at itself when it saw the cataclysm on the Edmund Pettus Bridge." -- Professor Carol Anderson
A documentary that works pretty well as a history lesson of voter suppression in America, covering its founding, Reconstruction, the Jim Crow south, and the Civil Rights movement in ways that are accessible and informative. More importantly, it connects the dots to the present day, leading to the shameful gutting of the Voting Rights Act in the Shelby County v. Holder Supreme Court decision, and its creation of "Jim Crow 2.0" as Carol Anderson put it. I liked how it reminds us of Chief Justice John Roberts' apprenticeship under William Rehnquist, and the latter's role on the front lines of voter suppression in Arizona in the 1960's. I liked how it also reminded us of the genesis of Florida's ban on ex-felons voting (hint: it's racist). The film puts a lot of its focus on Stacey Abrams and her narrow loss in Georgia's 2018 gubernatorial election, one rife with voter suppression and certainly a worthy topic (she's such a fantastic leader!), though I think it sacrifices a few things as a result, such as the disastrous Rucho v. Common Cause gerrymandering decision. It does present the case that change is only possible through sustained effort and protest, and that voting is a critical part of democracy, serving as an effective call to action. Overall, well worth watching, as the fight continues.
