With voting rights under renewed legal scrutiny, The Links, Incorporated, brought students from the Atlanta University Center and members of the broader community together Thursday night to examine how an upcoming U.S. Supreme Court case could reshape minority political power nationwide.
Hosted by the Buckhead/Cascade City (Ga.) Chapter, the town hall, titled “Know the Law. Own Your Power.” This town hall was focused on Louisiana v. Callais, a redistricting case that could further limit how race may be considered when drawing congressional and legislative maps. The forum took place at Big Bethel AME Church and drew students, faith leaders, legal experts, and longtime civic advocates.
The discussion was moderated by Inga Willis and featured Gary Spencer, senior counsel at the Legal Defense Fund, alongside the Rev. Jay Augustine, senior pastor of Big Bethel AME Church. Panelists outlined the legal stakes of the case, warning that changes to redistricting standards could weaken minority voting strength and further erode protections under the Voting Rights Act.
Spencer explained how voting restrictions often operate incrementally, describing laws that appear neutral but create additional hurdles for participation.
“These are all laws made to make it more difficult for folks to have access,” Spencer said, referencing polling place changes, ballot access rules, and identification requirements.
Augustine emphasized that elections are frequently decided by slim margins and that even minor barriers can have outsized consequences.
“Elections normally are not won or lost by large portions,” Augustine said. “They usually are small portions, a few hundred people.”
He described the cumulative effect of added burdens, including travel, time off work, and transportation, as a modern form of poll taxation.
“If you have to take off from work to go vote, you just paid to go vote,” Augustine said. “That’s a poll tax.”
The comment resonated with students in attendance, several of whom raised questions about how to move from political awareness to meaningful action. Jordan Greene, a senior political science student at Spelman College, asked how young people can engage without feeling overwhelmed or ineffective.
“As a student who feels a little bit apprehensive to speak up, we’re not sure what to do or say to make effective change,” Greene said. “Not just another hashtag or a post, but actual effective change.”
Panelists encouraged students to view civic participation as ongoing work rather than something limited to election cycles, emphasizing organizing, education, and accountability as essential tools for sustaining political power.
Ivan Walker, a college student who attended the forum, framed his question through the words of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., citing a 1966 Mother’s Day speech urging Americans to “march to the ballot box.”
“Many people think the ballot box is the destination,” Walker said. “But it’s only the beginning. From your perspectives in the church and the law, what’s the most urgent action people need to take right now to protect and expand Black political power?”
Concerns about voter intimidation and political retaliation also surfaced during the discussion. C. Henry Adams, a community member, shared his fears following recent law enforcement activity tied to election investigations.
“The FBI came to Fulton County and raided for some votes based on 2020,” Adams said. “I’m upset, because I feel that I’m in danger now.”
Adams said he worried that his voting record may have been accessed.
“I feel that whatever they took from that facility had my name on [it] because I voted against Donald Trump,” he said.
The discussion extended beyond redistricting to broader national concerns, including immigration enforcement, foreign policy rhetoric and what speakers described as coordinated efforts to limit civil rights protections. Willis pointed to the role of repetition and messaging in shaping public perception.
“We’re living in the era of the power of propaganda,” Willis said, urging attendees to pay close attention to how policies are framed and justified.
Spencer emphasized coalition-building as a necessary response to shrinking legal protections, pointing to collaboration across communities as a path forward.
“Black and brown folks working together is a powerful thing,” he said. “If we divide ourselves, we’re going to fall.”
Willis closed the forum by calling on students to remain engaged despite political uncertainty and rising tensions.
“This moment requires so much from you,” she said. “We need you to graduate with excellence, and we need you to get out here on these front lines with us.”