Episode 1 opens Season 12 with Ashley Shelton on what the gutting of Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act means for voters this November, and how to protect your ballot anyway. The Brown Girls Guide to Politics is a production of The BGG Media. This season is produced by Cinthia Pimentel of Ombie Productions. Our audio engineer is Kayden Wong. About the episode:Before we talk about who is running, we have to talk about whether your vote is going to count. Season 12 of The Brown Girls Guide to Politics opens with the rules that changed this year. A’shanti is joined by Ashley Shelton, President and CEO of the Power Coalition for Equity and Justice. Ashley was a plaintiff in Robinson v. Landry, the case that gave Louisiana a second majority-Black congressional district. Her organization then intervened in Louisiana v. Callais, the case the Supreme Court used to gut Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act. Ashley explains in plain language what Callais did, why it reaches every level of government, from Congress to the school board, and why the fight isn't over, with the case headed back to federal court in Shreveport on October 27. She makes the case that racism is expensive, that the confusion around voting this year is intentional, and that the only answer is unprecedented Black voter turnout. They also get into state voting rights acts, why electing a Congress that holds the line matters this November, and the voters we assume are already voting but are not. Ashley closes with her takeaways: check your status, know the law, pick how you vote, and never go to the polls alone. In this episode: How the Power Coalition organizes Louisiana voters year-round, from door knocking to a policy agenda built on deep listeningCallais in plain language: from a fair map in Robinson v. Landry to the gutting of Section 2Why Reconstruction-era amendments are now being used against the voters they were written to protect“Racism is expensive”: what packing Black voters into one district costs the people drawing the mapsWhy the confusion about voting this year is intentional, and how to tune out the headlinesEarly voting, voting by mail, and why to get your ballot in days aheadState voting rights acts, including Louisiana’s Senate Bill 365, and why representation is the heart of citizenshipThe redistricting fights to watch after the midtermsAshley’s takeaways, plus why you should bring the kids and get the stickerAbout the guest: Ashley Shelton, Founder, President and CEO: Ashley K. Shelton is the Founder, President and CEO of the Power Coalition, a statewide 501c3 table in Louisiana. The Power Coalition uses a broad-based strategy that combines community organizing, issue advocacy, and civic action all while increasing the capacity of community organizations throughout the state to build and sustain power. Mrs. Shelton has led both C3 and C4 strategies to move more than a million voters throughout the state of Louisiana having significant impact in elections in the major metros including New Orleans, Baton Rouge and Shreveport. Since our inception we have focused on moving infrequent voters of color, increasing voice and building people power. Our integrated voter engagement approach has changed policy at the municipal, state and federallevels as well as move infrequent voters of color to vote at the same levels as chronic voters in the communities where we run a full get out to vote program. What Do We Do? Three things listeners can do today, built from Ashley’s takeaways: Check your registration. Purges have hit voter rolls this year, so confirm your status and check it for the people you love. If you have a past conviction, look up your state’s rules, because you may be eligible.Pick how you vote and make a plan. Early, by mail, or on Election Day, choose your method and a backup. If you vote by mail, get your ballot in days ahead and drop it off in person if you can.Never go to the polls alone. Bring a friend, a neighbor, a cousin, and bring the kids so they see what voting looks like.Links and resources Power Coalition for Equity and Justice: powercoalition.org, with Louisiana sample ballots, constitutional amendment breakdowns, and early voting locationsFollow the Power Coalition: @PowerCoEJElection Protection hotline: 866 OUR VOTE (866 687 8683), for questions or problems while votingYour sample ballot and registration status: your state Secretary of State or local election officeThe BGG: thebgguide.comConnect with The BGG Read the blog for weekly roundups, explainers, and election resources, and follow @thebgguide everywhere for clips from every episode. Blog | The BGG Blog | thebgguide.com/blogInstagram | @thebgguide | instagram.com/thebgguideX | @thebgguide | x.com/thebgguideFacebook | @thebgguide | facebook.com/thebgguideYouTube | The Brown Girls Guide | YouTube channelNewsletter | Get Updates | thebgguide.com/signup Pre-order How to Change Everything A’shanti’s book, How to Change Everything: What We Can Learn from the Women Reshaping Politics, publishes March 23, 2027 from The New Press, and pre-orders are open now. With a foreword by Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley, the book features fresh interviews with over 50 women reshaping politics. They include former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Congresswomen Lateefah Simon, Emilia Sykes, and Nikema Williams, Stacey Abrams, Gloria Steinem, Alexis McGill Johnson, and Skye Perryman. Pre-orders count toward first week sales, so ordering now is one of the best ways to support the book. Pre-order: thebgguide.com/change-everything-bookFormat: hardcover, ISBN 979-8-89385-071-0
