Stateside with Kai and Carter: Stacey Abrams on why gutting of the US Voting Rights Act is ‘evil’

In the debut episode of 'Stateside with Kai and Carter,' hosts Kai Wright and Carter Sherman confront the Supreme Court's recent dismantling of the Voting Rights Act through the lens of Stacey Abrams, a leading figure in the fight for voting rights in the American South. The episode traces the historical arc of Black political empowerment from Reconstruction to the present, emphasizing how the Court's decision in Louisiana v. Calais—requiring proof of intentional racism to challenge discriminatory voting laws—has effectively rendered the Voting Rights Act obsolete. Abrams, reflecting on her family's civil rights legacy and her 2018 gubernatorial campaign, frames the current moment not as a loss of optimism but as a call to deepen determination. She argues that the attack on voting rights is not partisan but authoritarian in nature, aimed at silencing marginalized communities and consolidating power. Drawing from her experience in Tennessee and Georgia, Abrams outlines a multi-pronged strategy: building voter engagement through outrage, leveraging courts to build legal records, strengthening coalitions across racial and ideological lines, and holding elected officials accountable. The episode concludes with a powerful call to action, urging Americans to recognize that democracy is not guaranteed but must be fought for—especially as the nation approaches a majority-minority demographic threshold by 2046.