by Miriam Gordon, Policy Director at Upstream

January 6, 2021, was a day of insurrection that I will someday tell my grandchildren about. On its anniversary, I have been contemplating how I will describe it to them. 

Will it be the historical marker of when the decades-long effort by those with agendas to obstruct our democratic election process succeeded? 

Or will it go down as the moment that voters on both sides who hold democratic principles dear helped pass the John Lewis Voting Rights Amendment Act (VRRA) and rectified policies enacted to deny Black and Brown communities the right to vote?

I can’t answer these questions yet. Only time will tell. But a year ago, on this day, we saw that too many Americans are willing to overthrow our democracy to gain power and control, no matter what it takes. 

At Upstream, we recognize that a lack of free, fair elections and democratic processes threatens our ability to move forward on every environmental issue of concern. 

And voting rights are also under threat. The 2013 Supreme Court case Shelby County v. Holder took away federal protections of the 1965 Voting Rights Act and enabled an avalanche of voter suppression laws. 

In 2021 alone, 34 anti-voter laws were passed in 19 states. These laws make it harder for people of color and low-income people to vote, increase the odds that their votes will be discounted, and ensure that their votes will have little impact as a result of gerrymandered districting. 

If ever there was a moment when the environmental movement needed to focus on the intersection of racism and environmental policy, the time is now.

This is not a “stay in our lane” moment. It is time for our movement to help ensure that this country can hold free and fair elections. 

Making sure all eligible voters can access the ballot is essential to winning our environmental priorities. Racism – manifested in voting laws that disenfranchise and create obstacles to hinder people of color from voting – is clearly linked to the anti-environment agenda. It silences the voices of those who are most impacted by harm to our planet. The same forces that work to externalize pollution costs to low-income, minority communities also often work to disenfranchise voters. 

Black and Brown voters are key to tipping the scales in our elections and ensuring we elect representatives who prioritize people and the planet over greed. Voter suppression laws designed to make it more difficult for BIPOC voters also make participation more difficult for all kinds of voters who are committed to environmental causes.

Time is running out. So let’s stand up for voting rights and stop the insurrection from continuing. 

Here are three actions I’m taking to commemorate January 6th that you can take, too. 

1. Take this ACLU action: Contact your Senator and ask them to vote for the VRAA. See also the Freedom To Vote Action Page for other actions to take.

2. Attend a rally on January 6th: I received this invitation from Moveon.org. RSVP now to an outdoor vigil near you on January 6 to defend our democracy and demand action. 

3. Rejoin an election campaign: I did this leading up to the 2020 election to support specific candidates and “get out the vote” initiatives. In addition to the Democratic party itself, many organizations are working to get out the vote in the midterms. Check out Sister District, Swing Left, MoveOn, Indivisible, or this guide to progressive electoral politics organizations.

Last year, after January 6th, our CEO, Matt Prindiville wrote “... we can silence the ‘dark specters running through our nation’ by seeing and treating them as the phantom hatreds that they are, and by charting the next course of our nation’s history together.” But we can only do this if we ensure that our Democracy survives.