Honor John Lewis’ Revolutionary Life by Fighting to Ensure All Californians Can Participate in Our Democracy
“Politics means a slow, powerful drilling through hard boards, with a mixture of passion and a sense of proportion. . . . [W]hat ‘politics’ means for us is to strive for a share of power or to influence the distribution of power.” – Max Weber
John Lewis, the activist, agitator, and organizer who eventually became a representative and the “soul” of Congress, must have memorized Max Weber’s essay “Politics as a Vocation” and taken it to heart before coming to Washington in 1986. His revolutionary life illustrates the striving for a share of power that has been a central theme in the history of Black people since arriving in this country on the first slave ships 400 years ago. That striving continues to inspire our work ensuring Black, Indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC) can have an equal share of power in our democracy.
Our democracy’s founding ideals were false when written, and for centuries, BIPOC have fought to make them real. During the 12-year Reconstruction period following the conclusion of the Civil War, formerly enslaved Black men robustly engaged in the democratic process, with numerous Black Americans elected to local, state, and federal offices. But with white politicians in power lacking the will to defend Black rights, gains were soon lost. States denied Black people political power by passing poll taxes and literacy tests to curb us from voting and created all white-primaries for elections. Many states passed Black Codes to criminalize the everyday behaviors of Black people, then prohibited people with convictions from voting. And in the West, states routinely adopted measures to undermine democratic participation among communities of color. For example, Oregon refused to ratify the 15th Amendment, which prohibits voting rights discrimination based on race, until nearly 100 years after the end of the Civil War.
These efforts had their intended results. The inability to fully participate in the democratic process prevented Black people from being able to elect candidates with shared values. It also left many Black people feeling divorced from the electoral process, and we see that in disparities in political participation today.
Despite being a majority-minority state since 2000, California’s democracy does not reflect its demographic reality. White men are overrepresented in our government, while BIPOC are woefully underrepresented. White Californians participate in democracy at higher rates than people of color, and wealthier and more educated individuals are involved in politics at higher rates than their lower-income, less-educated counterparts.
We cannot have a democracy that works for everyone if the majority of voices are excluded from that democracy. We must adopt participatory governance practices to create a more effective and equitable government. By creating better opportunities for residents of color and low-income residents to engage in public policy decision-making, governments can arrive at better policy solutions to complex problems, increase the accountability of elected officials, and meet the needs of the communities they serve with greater success.
We must also ensure that the racial and economic composition of decision-making bodies reflect the populations they serve. Equitable representation is necessary for better responsiveness and policy outcomes that work for a broad range of Californians.
Our nation is stronger when everyone is included and everyone participates. Only then can we achieve stronger communities, a government more responsive to the diverse needs and interests of our growing populations, and a robust democracy.
But there is hope. Here in California, we’ve passed the California Voting Rights Act that expands on the federal Voting Rights Act of 1965. In 2016, the California Voter’s Choice Act was passed, which enables counties to provide voters with more flexible and convenient ways to cast a ballot. And this fall, we can pass Proposition 17, a constitutional amendment that would allow people on parole for felony convictions to vote in the Golden State. Felony disenfranchisement is rooted in America’s history of white supremacy and persistent efforts to deny equal citizenship to people of color, and removing this barrier would go a long way to creating a more inclusive, participatory democracy. But more must be done.
Authentic leadership is as rare as the most precious gemstone. John Lewis was one of those rare gemstones. As an activist and legislator, he made a significant contribution to the struggle for shared political power. He inspired a generation of people to fight for full civic participation for people of color. Let’s honor his legacy by advocating for racially and economically just democracy reforms to ensure all Californians can participate in our democracy.
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