We’re gearing up for election season. November, then primaries, then the big one!
One Person, No Vote – Carol Anderson documents the modern effort to suppress the vote following the Supreme Court’s 2013 Shelby County v. Holder decision. Though these efforts are new, they often echo the efforts from the past. At 160 pages, this book packs a punch. The additional 110 pages of notes and citations demonstrates the soundness of Anderson’s case.
The Woman’s Hour – This is the story of the fight to get Tennessee to ratify the 19th Amendment, making it the last state needed for amendment to the U.S. Constitution. Suffragist and Anti-suffragist converged in Nashville, bringing with them their various coalitions. You know how this all ends, but Elaine Weiss is able to take known history and turn it into thrilling storytelling.
Give Us the Ballot – Much has been written about the Civil Rights Movement in America, but less has been documented about the Voting Rights Act of 1965. Ari Berman starts from there and chronicles the fights and the resistance to expanded voting right up to the modern-day. Required reading for pre-election season.
-Mike M.
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