Republican lawmakers across the South are moving rapidly to redraw congressional maps, dismantle Black voting districts, and reshape political power before the 2026 midterm elections, triggering a sweeping legal and civil rights battle that advocates say threatens some of the most important gains secured since passage of the Voting Rights Act in 1965.

A country that once made it illegal to teach enslaved Black people to read is now arguing over whether Black history itself belongs in classrooms.

The NAACP has tapped one of the nation’s most prominent civil rights attorneys, naming Kristen Clarke as general counsel at a time the organization says demands an aggressive legal response to mounting threats against voting rights and civil liberties.

Salt-N-Pepa and DJ Spinderalla set to receive huge NAACP honor

Organizers called for passage of Living Wage for All legislation newly introduced in New York City and New York State and for similar legislation to be introduced in Congress.