By Demond Hawkins
Last week, I read Eve Weston’s “The People Have Spoken,” (EW May 21) summarizing the May primary elections in Lane County. A phrase embedded in the opening paragraph stayed with me: “the usual low voter turnout.” That phrase should concern all of us because with every day that passes, our rights are being dismantled.
Disengagement is dangerous, and low voter turnout is just one challenge we’re facing. Turnout alone is not enough if maps are unfair across the U.S. Fair maps are not enough if people do not vote. And without real representation, people are less likely to engage in voting or voter turnout activities. Oregon is not immune simply because our state has vote-by-mail and automatic voter registration.
The U.S. Supreme Court just removed some of the remaining core protections within the Voting Rights Act. States are passing restrictive voting laws, redrawing and removing districts to dilute Black and brown political power. It’s now harder than ever to challenge harmful policies. It takes more time, more evidence and more resources to do so. That shifts the burden onto our communities.
The current moment reflects a longstanding pattern of oppression. Throughout U.S. history, the suppression of Black voting power is tied directly to the legacy of slavery and Reconstruction.
After the Civil War, Black political participation surged, but the response was swift: poll taxes, literacy tests, violence and intimidation. These tactics may have evolved, but the oppressive goals have remained consistent: to limit the political power of Black people, Indigenous people, Brown people and all people of color by reducing access, weakening representation, diminishing trust in voting systems and creating doubt about whether a person’s vote really counts.
Oregon has made important progress, in part due to Black leaders like our district Sen. James Manning, a long time advocate for Black, rural and other communities to vote (including postage stamps on mail in ballots). In our recent general membership meeting, Sen. Manning spoke these words of truth and power: “If you don’t vote, that is a vote against your best interests.”
These wins were hard fought, but once protections are weakened at the federal level, states automatically have fewer guardrails. When suppression expands in other states, it shapes federal leadership that affects Oregon too, including who controls Congress, who is appointed to federal courts and what policies move forward.
Oregon has its own history to contend with. Black exclusion laws were written into the state’s founding documents. Black people were legally barred from living here. That history still impacts who participates, who is represented and who has power today in our state.
We also can’t deny that the advancement of our issues in Oregon is nowhere close to where it should be. Black representation in statewide and local elected office remains extremely limited relative to Oregon’s population. Disparities in outreach, language access and trust persist. And we do not currently have robust, recent Oregon-specific Black turnout data, which means we do not fully understand the gaps we are working to close.
The NAACP exists for moments like this, when rights are being narrowed and confusion is high. We believe that gathering to talk about what this all means and what to do about it is the right step to take in the months ahead. We have three recommendations to improve voting in Oregon and beyond:
First, strengthen voting in Oregon so it can hold over time. Oregon’s voting system is strong, and that makes it worth protecting and expanding. Staying informed and helping our community with vote-by-mail, deadlines and ballot tracking work is part of maintaining that strength, which NAACP plans to bolster alongside our Youth Council in the coming months.
Second, organize in ways that counter misinformation and build trust. People are more likely to believe and act on information from someone they know. Community conversations and trusted local spaces are how solidarity is built and participation increases. We will be sharing information that our members can bring to their spheres of influence.
Third, advance Black voting rights and issues nationally and outside of election cycles. Efforts to dismantle majority-Black districts across the country shape federal representation. Supporting work that challenges those efforts is part of how communities respond collectively. We’re planning to join the chorus to take action and lift our voices with the entire NAACP.
We will continue to reach out to our Eugene-Springfield community to support our political, educational, social and economic rights and eliminate race-based discrimination, especially for our right to vote.
Demond Hawkins is president of the Eugene Springfield NAACP. More info about Eugene Springfield NAACP at NaacpLaneCounty.org.
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