Discover and read the best of Twitter Threads about #jimcrowfilibuster
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Texas Governor Greg Abbott just signed a racist voter suppression bill into law. Texas may have been the epicenter of harmful legislation this past week, but it isn't the only state passing dangerous laws that disproportionately affect Black people.
We’re seeing this happen across the country. Following the 2020 election, 14 states have already passed laws that have shortened the window for absentee voting, restricted the eligibility of early voting, or made it easier to contest the results of election.
The U.S. Senate has the power to pass federal bills that protect abortion access and the right to vote, but Republicans are using the filibuster to block Congress from acting. Senate Democrats have the power to reform the filibuster but, for some reason, not all are on board.
For some reason @LeaderMcConnell thinks the filibuster has no racist history. Here are some of the times the #JimCrowFilibuster has been used by racist senators in the past. (Thread)
The filibuster was first used by John C. Calhoun, a racist senator who believed that the institution of slavery was a “positive good”. He used the filibuster to delay bills that threatened the power of slave states, including the establishment of Oregon as a free state.
In 1922, racist senators used the #JimCrowFilibuster to block a bill that would have punished law enforcement leaders and elected officials who allowed lynchings to take place in their states. This wouldn’t be the last time a filibuster blocked anti-lynching legislation.
