New Video: Obama, Holder Explain Why Gerrymandering Harms Democracy in America
All On The Line Releases Final Video in Series on Gerrymandering
Today, All On The Line released the third and final video in a series on the organization’s mission to end gerrymandering and support fair maps during the redistricting process in 2021. This video, “President Obama and Eric Holder on Why Gerrymandering is Bad for Our Democracy: Explained,” breaks down gerrymandering and explains why it has been responsible for some of the most backward, harmful laws over the past decade. The video comes with fewer than 120 days until the 2020 election, which is our final chance ahead of 2021 to elect officials who will have a seat at the table during the redistricting process.
Here are a few highlights from the latest video:
Holder: “People ask me all the time, ‘What is gerrymandering?’ And I start with kind of a basic premise: Gerrymandering is cheating.”
“It’s not a coincidence that you see the greatest amount of voter suppression where you see the greatest amount of gerrymandering.”
Obama: “Gerrymandering is a sneaky way for politicians to consolidate as much power as they can.”
“In the end, gerrymandering means citizens’ voices are being diminished.”
This series, filmed last fall, began with the first video, “The Grassroots Army on the Front Lines for Fair Maps.” It features President Barack Obama, Attorney General Eric Holder, staff, and volunteers who share their thoughts on why AOTL is the organization for concerned citizens to get involved in the fight against the unfair, manipulated maps that are hurting our democracy.
The second video, “How Partisan & Racial Gerrymandering Affect Our Daily Lives,” explores a particularly egregious case of gerrymandering in North Carolina A&T University’s district and shows how self-interested politicians have used partisan and racial gerrymandering to diminish the voices of specific voters.
Since its launch last year, All On The Line has been hard at work building a grassroots volunteer organization ahead of the 2021 redistricting process. This work includes launching Redistricting U, a national, in-person training program designed to give individuals the knowledge, skills, and tools to take action on redistricting - the program is now offered virtually. So far, Redistricting U and other AOTL trainings have held nearly 100 events across dozens of states with over 1,000 volunteers. All On The Line has also engaged with volunteers in more than 80 cities through roundtable events, book clubs, and house meetings. To date, more than 63,000 people have signed All On The Line’s Citizen Commitment and pledged to advocate for fair districts in their state during the 2021 redistricting process.
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