By Matt Hirsch
Brooklyn College has invited civil rights attorney and activist April England-Albright to host a seminar on Feb. 15 to educate and organize the community against voter suppression laws.
“We are thrilled to have April England-Albright share her expertise on such a timely and important subject,” said Anthony Brown, Chief Diversity Officer and Special Assistant to the President, in a statement to the Vanguard. “The Office of Diversity and Equity Programs is proud to offer these extended educational opportunities to our students, faculty, and staff that can lead to a greater understanding of these complex social issues.”
In 2021, 34 laws that limit access to voting were ratified by 19 states, with a majority disproportionately affecting communities of color, reported the Brennan Center for Justice. England-Albright is the Legal Director and Chief of Staff of the Black Votes Matter Fund (BVM), a nonprofit organization that advocates, organizes, and empowers marginalized communities. According to their bio, BVM operates with five “core beliefs” in bolstering local infrastructure, supporting social justice year-round, supporting Black voters across the country, delivering an “authentic” message, and recognizing Black women for their leadership.
The Black Votes Matter Fund recently made headlines in Georgia, England-Albright’s home state, for skipping President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris’s state visit.
“We don’t need another speech, we don’t need him to come to Georgia and use us as a prop, what we need is work,” said Cliff Albright, co-founder of BVM in an interview with CNN in response to President Biden’s inability to get voting rights legislation passed in the Senate.
England-Albright’s “Fighting Voter Suppression” seminar will be held on Tuesday, Feb. 15 via Zoom. It is co-sponsored by the Office of Diversity and Equity Programs, We Stand Against Hate, The Women’s Center, and the Department of Africana Studies.