Throughout our nation’s history, civil rights movements across the country have had to fight to achieve victories for the disenfranchised. And one of the most important civil rights issues of our time is the battle for District of Columbia statehood.
As a Washington, D.C., resident, I do not see this as being about politics. It’s about fulfilling the promise of our Constitution and enfranchising the more than 700,000 mostly Black and brown people, who have waited centuries for representation in Congress.
D.C.’s lack of representation continues to be rooted in white supremacy and driven by false concerns over “corruption” or the alleged inability of our city to manage its own affairs. These are all dog-whistle arguments meant to undermine leadership of color.