Tag Archives: Community

Encouragement for Fathers

Posted by D.L.Fuller on

Fathering

“I would like to focus on the father in the family as being the seed bearer. It is the father’s responsibility to ensure that his likeness or kind is preserved for all time. It is the father’s responsibility to secure a lasting legacy, and to preserve a heritage for generations to follow. The main way a father does this is by ensuring that his fruit understands who they are based on their heritage. As a young boy begins to frame his perception of manhood, he will undoubtedly try to identify with his father. The son will open his heart to his father to receive instruction. If the boy’s father has accepted the seed of God, through the salvation of Christ, then he will have divine seed to sow into the heart of his son. As a man is fathered by God, God sows into him all he needs to be a father. The man is then able to reciprocate this down into his own son. A father does not have to be flawless in order to share the seed of God as a good father. A father only needs to be transparent about his fierce dedication to reflect God’s love in raising the child. The rest God will take care of.”

The paragraph above was taking from chapter 2 of my book, “True Heritage: Recovering from Spiritual Identity Theft”. I would like to unpack this sentence from the excerpt above, “A father only needs to be transparent about his fierce dedication to reflect God’s love in raising the child.” I have two daughters and two sons from my marriage. My preference as a father, was to always see my children smiling and laughing, enjoying life. My preference would have ruined them, because the breadth of life includes much more than just good times. This is why Holy Scripture tells us that when we withhold godly reproof and correction, we spoil or ruin our children. Godly reproof and correction involve orienting the heart of the child towards love; the discipline of looking beyond your own desires and preferences to achieve works that benefit all. All humans are born with the perspective of themselves in the center of the universe. Everything is relative to what they need or want. Only the love of GOD can change this orientation. If parents have not been broken and rebuilt by the love of GOD, the parent will raise their children based on their own needs and wants, and the child, as soon as they are able will also exercise their own power to express their preferences, and we end up with the world looking much like it does today. I thank GOD almighty for enduring my rebellion, my anger, my kicking and screaming, my self-inflicted sorrows, to do what was required to save my soul, to rescue me from the bondage of pride and selfishness. We have to parent by faith, not looking at the present, but acting from the hope anchored in the promise of that which is to come, the birth of a godly man or woman. GOD tells us, if we do the hard work on the front end, we will get to rejoice at the latter end.  The book of Hebrews 12:2 says, “Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.”(KJV)

Fathers, your family and friends may try and shame you for being hard, for requiring the glory you know that has been bestowed inside your children, for not compromising your faith in doing it GOD’s way however, stand! Whole the line! Satan wants to destroy everything which reflects GOD. Since we were created in GOD’s image, we have a large target on our head. Family, the means of procreation, is under assault. Fathers protect your families fiercely. I am not talking about using guns and assault weapons, because they won’t keep Satan from spoiling your house. More families are spoiled from the fifth columns of affairs, ambitions of success, and empty religion than external forces.

“The husbandman that laboureth must be first partaker of the fruits.” (2nd Timothy 2:6 KJV)

It will be impossible for you to place your children on the altar of GOD if you have not been there yourself. I trust GOD with my children’s lives because I first trusted Him with my own. You reap, what you sow. Endure the pain. You will sow in tears, but you will reap in joy! If you have sown good seed, the good harvest will come. There are no enduring lies or facades. If you have not sown good seed, you may have a tough road ahead. It is easier to raise whole people than to fix broken ones, but all things are possible with GOD. There is still hope. I was not raised in a godly home. In fact, by age 13, I had experienced both sex and drugs, but by age 21, I had taken up the cross of Christ in abandon to His love. My heavenly Father GOD leveraged my pain, His mercy and grace, the prayers of the saints, and the powers of the Heavenly Host to rescue me. I know He will do the same for each of my children, and for you and yours.

“For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.” (Romans 10:13 KJV)

That is a promise of GOD which has not expired. You can claim it, and you can still teach and encourage your children to claim it as well. Be encouraged!

https://www.amazon.com/True-Heritage-Recovering-Spiritual-Identity/dp/1641114576

 

 

 

My Two Cent

Posted by D.L.Fuller on

2 Cent

Time to level set. White people don’t need to make anything right with black people. Their focus should be the same as the focus of all people, getting their hearts right before GOD. The GOD who without respect of persons, has commanded all mankind to love their neighbor as themselves. We have all at some point been guilty of abusing our neighbor. Whether it has been, white people abusing black people, black people abusing black people, men abusing women, society at large abusing the mentally handicapped, or Americans abusing foreigners; it is all wrong, and we have all been guilty. Let him who is without sin cast the stones or start the shooting. It is only by all of us reconciling with GOD, that we are able to fine true peace with one another.

The phrase “Black people” has become synonymous with “disproportionately.” Black people are disproportionately killed and prosecuted by the legal system, disproportionately imprisoned for the same crimes as other, disproportionately affected by COVID-19, disproportionately affected by unemployment, disproportionately denied loans by financial institutions, disproportionately marginalized in the cooperate sector, and I could go on and on, but these are the facts which substantiate the outcry “Black Lives Matter.” All of the problems which disproportionately affect Black people come as a result of the three branches of our government not taking an equal interest in the well-being of Black people.

As Dr. King stated, “A threat to justice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.” It follows that a threat to equality anywhere is a threat to equality everywhere, and a threat to community anywhere is a threat to community everywhere, and the suppression of truth anywhere is an invitation to darkness everywhere, and a denial of humanity anywhere is the doom of humanity everywhere.

Absolute Love is the answer.

Being About Your Father’s Business

Posted by D.L.Fuller on

 

Faith in business

The injustice in the world today is nothing new and neither is the source. The book of knowledge and wisdom tells us that the love of money is the root of all evil. This truth indicates that those in business are closest to the root of the problem, since business is the means by which money is exchanged. 1st Timothy 6:10 is the origin of this often misquoted maxim.

“For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.” (1 Tim 6:10 KJV)

The phrase “love of money” in this verse comes from the Greek word “philarguria”, which translates to fondness of silver. This word comes from part of the same root as the Greek word “Philanthropia”, which translates fondness of mankind, and is where we get the word philanthropy. If you look at the meaning of each of these words, then it becomes clear what the bible is trying to relay in the verse cited above. It also becomes clear why there is so much chaos in the world today.

The cited scripture is not in reference to everyone. It speaks of people erring from the faith. We know the faith in reference because this quote comes from a Christian bible. True Christianity is based on faith in the testimony of Jesus Christ, who gave His life to save mankind. So, without question, we know that Christianity is founded on a love for mankind. This understanding explains why the love of money is then considered erring from the faith. Those who confess to follow Christ should exhibit a love for mankind instead of a love for money.

To my Christian brothers and sisters, what is reflected most in your business? Is it the love of mankind or a love of money? Do you put what is humane and equitable before what is financially profitable? History is polluted with the business of putting money before humanity. Just look at the history of America. We know that the love for Africans did not exceed a love for the profit to be made from their enslavement. We know the love for Native Americans did not exceed the love for the profit to be made from their lands. Is this just a recollection of America’s sins from the past or is this sorrow piercing so many through today evidence that America has not yet repented? America as a government never erred from the faith, because America as a government never employed the teachings of Christ. Christ gave His life for the sake of ALL mankind. The business of this country has always been for the sake of a few.

This a call for the Christians of this nation. Those who profess to live according to the one which put His love of mankind before His own life. You are the light of the world. If your light is hidden from your business, then we lose the light where it is darkest. Business is where decisions are made which impact our whole civilization. The way to remove the chaos from the boardwalks, is to promote a love for mankind in the boardrooms. The corrosion of society stems from morally bankrupt capitalism. All human endeavors must be rooted in the purpose of making life better for all, or humanity will fail as a whole. These words may not find a home in every heart, but my hope is that they will resonate in hearts where the faith of Christ is resident.

 

 

The Real Choice Before Us

Posted by D.L.Fuller on

cross-to-new-hope-1

Awake! We are not called to save this world. We are called to save people out of this demonic world system. This world system is not redeemable because the Lord didn’t build it. We seek a kingdom which is to come. The only thing that can change this world is a revolution of values. That is only accomplished by renewing minds and changing hearts. You need the power of GOD to do that. He has already sent a Savior for this world. There is no other answer; not marching, not physical war, not electing a better president. The answer is the Body of Christ taking up the cross and preaching the sincere unadulterated word of GOD. Don’t say we’ve tried that because the majority of what I hear from pulpits and confessing Christians doesn’t line up with the gospel that YESHUA preached.

I have seldom heard a gospel preached which shifts the affections of the hearers to the kingdom of Christ and away from this world. Most people today come to Christ seeking to save the life they have, not looking for a new life altogether. Ministers tell people, just say this confession and it will all be better. YESHUA said, go sell everything you own and then come and follow me. The gospel of Christ demands that you let the things of this world go. It may be riches, it may be unforgiveness, a desire to be successful in the eyes of your family and peers, a criminal lifestyle, ungodly sexual practices, alcohol and other drugs used as a way of coping; we have to give it all to Him.

The Creator will not build on a foundation He has not laid Himself. Contrary to the misguided belief of many Americans, GOD did not build the foundation of America. The founding fathers of this country were not inspired by the teachings of Christ, or His New Covenant. Granted they may have been inspired by the bible, as in the Pharaoh, building a kingdom through slave labor and hard bondage. It seems they may have adopted social control methodology from Caesar and Rome, imprisoning and brutally killing dissidents. How could those fighting to be freed from oppressive rule, turn around and institute a government with built in marginalization and oppression? The heart of Christ is salvation to all people regardless of ethnic origin. When has that been modeled through the United States Government. Before you answer, do your research. It is clear when the founders wrote “All men are created equal” it was understood in that day that only white males qualified as the referenced “men”; not women or any people of color. Just study history. This is the true heritage of this country, and until people accept this reality, they will not be able to see clearly enough to forge meaningful change, nor shift their allegiance to Christ and the establishment of His Kingdom. Which by the way, is unstoppable and inevitable.

I have been some what hesitant to produce videos and now I know why. It is because people need to read. They need to learn the power of words, and the discipline of dedicating time to the pursuit of knowledge and wisdom. Truth is to be chewed thoroughly to the smallest of pieces and fully tasted in order for it to be consumed and digested properly. Listening to the bible while you are driving or doing other things is OK, but studying the Word with a concordance and a dictionary is truly enlightening.

The separation of church and state has been twisted to imply the Word of GOD shouldn’t be injected into conversations about problem resolution around tables that outside of churches. As believers, we are not confined or limited by this belief. We are called to inject the Word of GOD on what ever platform we have been given. This is what is needed to break the powers of darkness that is blinding so many. The light of the Gospel of Christ must break forth unrestrained. There is no other solution to man’s problems other than that which GOD has given through the life of His Son, Yeshua Hamashiach! If you disagree with this, then you are part of the problem.

Matthew 12:30 “He who is not with Me is against Me, and he who does not gather with Me scatters abroad.” (NKJV)

Luke 11:23 “He who is not with Me is against Me, and he who does not gather with Me scatters.” (NKJV)

These two disciples of Christ are testifying that they heard YESHUA say what I have quoted above. It’s time to gather with Christ. Will you surrender your life to Christ and His Kingdom, or will you continue living in deception and cleaving to this crumbling world system?

This can be considered part 2 of a post from November of 2016

https://theinscribedheart.com/2016/11/13/crossing-over-to-spiritual-unity-is-the-only-hope/

 

Breath For Those Struggling to Breathe

Posted by D.L.Fuller on

Fro Love2

What we are seeing in America today may look like the result of centuries of systemic racism, but it is really the results of millenniums of greed. Racism is just a tool the greedy use to maintain control. Greed is defined by Merriam Webster as “a selfish and excessive desire for more of something (such as money) than is needed.” The wealth of this world is being greedily held by just a few. This manufactured racism works so well, the aristocracy can just flaunt their extreme wealth in the faces of the oppressed masses without fear. While it is true that the soul of the courts has been bought, it is the lack of empathy in society, for those whom justice is slow to serve, which hinders the needed reforms.

Racism is the bait and easy way taken by those infected with fear, who hold with clinched fist, the dregs left them by the greedy. The problem is not your neighbor, who is just trying to live as you are, it is the system which allows so little to be given for the masses to divide. Racism is the virus which was created by the aristocracy, carried in society by the weak-hearted, and infecting all susceptible to hate.

The inability of one human to see the humanity in another is the pandemic heart disease which threatens all mankind. Inhumanity is the disease which cripples the judgment of the greedy, which hinders the ability of them to see that their excessiveness is depriving other humans. Before you dismiss this as just socialist rhetoric, it is undeniable that there is only so much water, so much land, and so much time to work with in any given generation. When these key resources are manipulated so that they only profit a small segment of the earth’s population, it is unethical and wrong. If there is any concern about a shortage of natural resources, the focus should not be reducing the population of the poor through inhumane eugenics, it should be making sure that the wealth of the world benefits all humanity.

The only way to combat greed, and the racism it perpetuates, is through curing the diseased hearts. This will facilitate the revolution of values needed to rescue society from further moral decay. This is why the gospel of Love must be taught and demonstrated by the true children of GOD. Unlike the Christian hirelings which have been historically complicit with the oppression and injustice rampant in the United States and the rest of the world, it is time for the true followers of Christ to arise and continue the mission of YESHUA which He declared in Luke 4:18-19 (KJV),

“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, To preach the acceptable year of the Lord.”

This mission is for those who have taken up the cross of Christ and only seek the life which is found through the resurrection power of GOD. They who resist fear through faith in GOD and persevere through love, will triumph with Christ!

“These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.” John 16:33 (NKJV)

Reminded of The State of The Union

Posted by D.L.Fuller on

flags

Yesterday, I went out cycling for some exercise at a nearby park. Upon finishing and returning to the parking lot, I entered a conversation with a fellow biker unloading his bike. He came over to my car as I racked my bike to continue the conversation.  He was an older white guy in his mid-sixties. The conversation quickly shifted from cycling talk to the impact of COVID-19. I listened to him for about 2 minutes and then I realized, in my free loving just talk with anyone ways, this person was rimming over with information he had been gathering from his news sources and the circles he travels in, and I had provided him an opportunity to pour out his opinions. I understand the propensity of older people to share their views to enlighten those who will follow them, so I let him finish expressing his thoughts. When he was done, he had given me his explanation of why the corona virus had been particularly hard on New York. In a nut shell, he stated it was due to the illegal immigrants living ten deep in apartments infecting one another. He made sure to make a distinction from undocumented immigrants to illegal immigrants. He also stated the illegal immigrants were most likely “dogs” from their homeland. I am not exaggerating this or embellishing his words in any way.

This wasn’t provocative to me because after living in America and seeing how the mythology of American history is taught and perpetuated, I understood perfectly how he could have these viewpoints. It is no different from labeling native Americans as savages to justify the profits from taking their land. It is no different from labeling African abductees as incapable monkeys, only two-thirds human to justify profits made through their enslavement. The labeling of humans that seek asylum in America is another way of justifying the profits made from government contracts in privately run prisons and holding facilities.

So, I calmly shared with this older citizen that these were not undocumented immigrants or illegal immigrants, these people were first and foremost humans, just like he and I. As humans, they deserved to have their humanity protected and preserved with the same rights and dignities as every other human. I told him that at a minimum, that is what the law of the land should provide to all humans. I explained to him that they were not just human, they were also individuals and deserved to be treated on the merits of their individual selves and we should care about their individual stories. Well, the tone of the conversation changed after that, and he went on to tell me he was exercising and on meds because he had an ailment that was causing his arteries to harden. I hoped our conversation had at least softened his heart.

I drove away pondering the level of continued blindness in what is now the twenty-first century. I don’t think he stopped for moment to consider that he was speaking to someone who has ancestors, which only a generation ago, had to sit in the back of buses and in the rear of trains and barely could vote in the south, due to them being unjustly stigmatized. I don’t think he is aware that this blight is still impacting the lives of many people of color through the criminal justice system in higher incarceration rates and longer sentencing, as well as the financial sector through higher interest loans and higher insurance premiums and lower property value assessments.

It will probably take months, if not years, to get the facts on who has been most impacted by COVID-19. A lack of thorough testing and no country wide standards enforced on documenting and reporting related deaths during the first weeks of the outbreak, will impact the accuracy of statistics. This pandemic reveals yet how far we are from the ideals of The Pledge of Allegiance, “One nation, under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.”

Answering The Call to Life

Posted by D.L.Fuller on

Call to life

If you can go days without praying or you don’t pray at all, you are most likely not fully engaged with the most important facets of your life. I say this because there is a spiritual war going on for your soul, and for control of the masses. Every moment of this current age is filled with deviant intentionality, so we too have to be intentional every moment about combating their influences, as well as being on the offensive for what is true and righteous.

I focused on prayer being key to this engagement, because once your eyes are opened to this battle, you will see it is bigger than any one individually. You will see that it is on a scale that requires allies and support from a power greater than yourself. Once you engage in works like facing the things that make you feel unhappy, to remove its negative influence, or advocating for fairness and justice, or filling your time with things that benefit others as well as yourself, or speaking up for the oppressed and down trodden, the weight of these issues will demand a strength greater than what you can muster alone. The heart of the Creator is close to all of these issues, and when you open your heart to them, there is an opportunity for a communion which gives hope, strength, and vitality.

“Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.” (Matthew 11:28-30)

Dealing constructively with these weighty issues of life will reward you greatly, and they will certainly cause you to draw closer to your Heavenly Father. The deviant forces at work, which I spoke of earlier, would have you be unconscious and inactive in this conflict for life, but you were born for this. We are all present to perpetuate life, for those here with us and for those who follow. We can only accomplish this through connecting with other humans through the love of GOD. Through these connections we establish conduits of living waters to the greater human community, which thirst for Life. We must guard against evil influences that would have us be divided through hate, racism, and xenophobia.

There is a belief that religion is one of the biggest dividers of people in the world today. This belief is not far from the truth, but the problem is not with “true” religion, the problem is with “false” religion. How do you tell the difference? Any religion claiming divine authority will be built on the pillars of faith:

“Teacher, which is the great commandment in the law?” Jesus said to him, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. ‘This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.” (Matthew 22:36-40)

Being devoted to love, with all your heart, soul, and mind, strengthens community. Loving you neighbor as yourself also strengthens community. These are the pillars of “true” religion. True religion does require some division, but it is a separation from things that are not life producing and sustainable. Healthy division is a part of life. For example, pruning in a garden to make the plants more fruitful. A religion that won’t identify and reject things which produce death or minimizes life is false. The idea that love embraces everything is complete foolishness. Love is always dedicated to that which sustains and propagates life. If it is intent on restricting life or causing death, love will sever its connection to it. That is the only impetus behind any division true religion is responsible for.

False religion causes division as a result of being complicit with hate, greed, perversions, inequality, lies, and any other evil. This is the reason the cross is the doorway to true religion. The cross is where man surrenders self-interest for the universal and life sustaining interest of the Creator. Don’t reject the idea of seeking fulfillment in true religion because of the preponderance of false religions. Yeshua came to make of all humans, one people in Him. He gave His body on the cross that He might raise from the dead another body, which consist of all people willing to lay down their divisive self-interest for the pillars of faith.

So the Jews answered and said to Him, “What sign do You show to us, since You do these things?” Jesus answered and said to them, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.” Then the Jews said, “It has taken forty-six years to build this temple, and will You raise it up in three days?” But He was speaking of the temple of His body. Therefore, when He had risen from the dead, His disciples remembered that He had said this to them; and they believed the Scripture and the word which Jesus had said. (John 2:18-22)

This is why those born again through the cross of Christ are called the “Body of Christ”. It is time for us all to start living the life we were meant to live, through becoming the people we were meant to be: the children of the Most High GOD. It is our true heritage. A languishing world is waiting.

 

 

 

Receiving Love

Posted by D.L.Fuller on

Vday

Love is splendid gracious favor, adoration, and kindness, which comes to us as a blessing from heaven. It must be received in surrender and humility or else you will resist it unconsciously, trying to find fault with it, because the awareness of your own faults and shortcomings will tell you, it is too good to be true. GOD is the source of all “true” love, and He pours it on us directly, and through His creation, and through those who know Him. Receive this life changing Love with a grateful heart, and let it graciously overflow to those around you.

“Just Mercy” …A Nice Peep

Posted by D.L.Fuller on

JM

I saw the movie “Just Mercy” yesterday. It is the story of Bryan Stevenson, the founder of the Equal Justice Initiative organization. There is a scripture that says, the Lord is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him. GOD is Truth and Light, and this movie does a great job of telling how Mr. Stevenson has spent his life in pursuit of truth to bring liberation to those held captive by darkness. The movie is set in Alabama. A state that has historically depicted the heart of Jim Crow segregation and racism. The movie brings to light the true stories of horror which black people have experienced, being subjected to a judicial system which considers them unworthy of justice; equal protection under the law. Justice, equal protection under the law, is a right of all citizens of the United States. The fact that black people of color currently and historically have been denied that right demonstrates an unwillingness to grant us full citizenship. The evidence is not in the exception of the few but in the status quo of the millions.

A PEW study revealed that in 2017, blacks represented 12% of the U.S. adult population but 33% of the sentenced prison population. Whites accounted for 64% of adults but 30% of prisoners. Another way to represent these numbers is there were 1,549 black prisoners for every 100,000 black adults – nearly six times the imprisonment rate for whites (272 per 100,000) and nearly double the rate for Hispanics (823 per 100,000). Over the past couple of years, the disparity in these numbers has shrunk. It has been suggested by a few studies that this is due to a decline in the use of crack in the black community, curtailing incarceration in connection with drugs. Another contributor to the gap closing is the incarceration of white males has starkly increased due to methamphetamine, prescription opioid and heroin use, combined with the prosecution of white males doubling for sex crimes.

I was moved by the number of white movie goers in the theater to see this film. It stirred hope in me that there is growing interest in understanding the root causes of the disparities seen across this nation in the quality of life between the masses of blacks and whites. I also hope that more of my white sisters and brothers will venture beyond regular news sources to documentaries, films, and articles that publish truth not aired in the mainstream, which go a long way in explaining the catalyst for protest carried out by black people. Instead of seeing the protesting of blacks as unpatriotic, maybe people will begin to see it as a reasonable response to the hypocrisy displayed by a country that boast one nation, under god, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.

Some films and documentaries I would recommend are “13th” by Ava DuVernay, “Black In Latin America” by Henry Louis Gates Jr., “The Way They See Us” by Ava DuVernay, and of course “Just Mercy” by Destin Daniel Cretton.

The Official Theme of Black History Month is “The Vote”

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The Vote

The theme for Black History month this year is “The Vote”. This is the sesquicentennial of the Black vote or its 150th anniversary. This month the founders of Black History month, The Association for the Study of African American Life and History, brings focus to the historical inclusion of African Americans into the category of “people” with certain unalienable rights. The Declaration of Independence, known as one of the founding Charters of Freedom, declared, “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”

It took the U.S. 346 years to finally acknowledge Black Americans as humans with the Voting Rights Act of 1965. From the first documented ship that arrived in Virginia with the human trafficked from Africa (1619), until the Voting Rights Act (1965), was 346 years. This is an indictment on the Christian roots of this nation. If the framers were truly enlightened, and this was a Christian nation, it would not have taken over 350 years to see that Black people are heirs of Christ as well. The fact that many confessing Christians view America as a Christian nations exposes a deep root of delusion, and the lack of a true relationship with Christ the Savior. The Book of 1st John states that whoever says they love GOD, yet hate their brother is a liar.

Even after the passing of the Voting Rights Act, there were still many obstacles to the polls, from terrorism by white supremacist to voter suppression by governing bodies. The latter is still n issue today in the former Jim Crow states. In 2013, Alabama officials argued before the U.S. Supreme Court in Shelby versus Holder, that the protections provided under the Voting Rights Act were no longer needed to prevent discrimination, and on June 25th of that year the court agreed. This has opened the door for polling changes previously blocked by the VRA to be instituted, like the “exact match” policy which has been proven to disproportionately affect the black community.

The struggle continues….