“Political power does not come from some absolute authority of a king over people, the founders argued. Rather, political power comes from the people themselves. And these people must agree to any authority governing their society,” Joseph Jones writes. “This is why the U.S. Constitution starts with the words ‘We the People,’ and not ‘I, the ruler.’”
When it comes to voting, there is no denying a simple fact about Mississippi: our state has refused to eliminate antiquated laws that disproportionately silence Black and young voters. In drafting the state’s constitution in 1890, white lawmakers with mal intent sought to limit the voting power of Black Freedmen by permanently disenfranchising those convicted of a specific set of felony offenses. Black Mississippians are still disproportionately harmed by these measures.
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