WASHINGTON – Heritage Foundation President Kay C. James authored a commentary and released an ad in advance of Tuesday’s Senate Judiciary Committee’s dishonestly titled “Jim Crow 2021: The Latest Assault on the Right to Vote” hearing on election reforms.

The commentary, entitled “Left labeling election integrity reforms as 'Jim Crow' is a lie and insulting to Black people,” was published this morning at the Washington Times. James wrote:

“The right to vote is one of the most sacred rights that we as free citizens can exercise…Free and fair elections are the cornerstone of our republic, and every citizen — no matter their color, ethnicity, background or political persuasion — must be able to trust the voting process and its results.”

James rejects the insidious attempt to frame mainstream election laws like Georgia’s as “racist:”

“These state election reforms are about one thing — making it easier for American citizens to vote, while making it harder for cheaters to cheat.

 

“As a Black woman who grew up in the segregated South, I’m shocked and appalled with the race-baiting from mostly white, left-wing politicians who are throwing around the ‘Jim Crow’ label to score political points in the debate over strengthening our voting laws.

 

“Frankly, it’s insulting that politicians are trying to manipulate black folks like me into thinking that voting reforms that actually protect our right to vote are somehow racist. It’s insulting to be lied to, and — yes, I’m going to say it — it seems awfully racist to be thought of as so ignorant and gullible.”

James wrote that this is part of a broader strategy to ram the deeply anti-democratic “For the People Act” through Congress:

“They are lying and calling common-sense voter protections racist to make people think that there is a groundswell of voter suppression coming from the states so that they can pretend to save us all with H.R. 1. But they aren’t really interested in protecting us; all they are interested in is helping themselves.”

The 30-second ad, which can be viewed here, encourages viewers to reject the false narratives about election integrity laws and to get the facts about those laws and other efforts to secure our elections at Heritage.org. The ad is reaching people in and around the Capitol this week.