Congress Must Expand the Court to Reform Our Broken and Unrepresentative Court System

WASHINGTON, D.C. –– On Tuesday and Wednesday, Just Democracy coalition members Stephany Spaulding and Shenika Carter joined Take Back the Court for the #Rally4OurFuture and Demand Justice for the #ExpandTheCourt lobby day, both calling for our federal courts to be reformed. During Demand Justice’s lobby day, people from across the country gathered in Washington D.C. on the anniversary of Justice Amy Coney Barrett’s confirmation to lobby elected officials to pass the Judiciary Act, which would add four seats to the Supreme Court in order to balance the seats stolen by President Donald Trump. 

“Just as the Jim Crow filibuster has long been used for mostly white Senators to impede progress for Black and Brown communities, our highly unrepresentative court system has allowed for predominantly white, male judges to make decisions on issues that most directly impact people of color, women, and LGBTQ+ people,” said Stephany Spaulding, Just Democracy Spokesperson and Founder of Truth and Conciliation. “As we rally and lobby in Washington a year after Justice Amy Coney Barrett was appointed to the Supreme Court in a rushed confirmation, it’s imperative for Congress to eliminate the filibuster and pass legislation to reform our court systems to ensure that our democracy and our laws truly work for everyone.”

“Our judiciary has never represented the true diversity of America, and it’s about time that we had a Supreme Court that looks more like us deciding the fate of pivotal cases on abortion, criminal justice, gun control, and more,” said Shenika Carter, Coalition Member of Just Democracy and Founder and Executive Director of Caravan 4 Racial Justice. “As the Supreme Court prepares to hear arguments for the restrictive Texas abortion ban that could decide the fate of Roe v. Wade, Congress must ensure that vital decisions about our laws are no longer made without more Black, Brown, and marginalized voices at the table. The time for expanding the Supreme Court to include more diverse voices –– and the time to ensure that our democracy lives up to our American ideals –– is now.”

 

# # #

About Just Democracy

Just Democracy is an intersectional coalition with racial justice at its core — uplifting voices from all walks of American life that are too often left out of the conversation. The coalition is made up of over 40 Black and Brown-led organizations working across issue areas. It mobilizes thousands who know that advancing social and racial justice issues first requires bold structural democracy reform.

To speak with a Just Democracy spokesperson, please email press@justdemocracy.us

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/justdemocracy/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/justdemocracy

Website: https://www.justdemocracy.us