Tomas Lopez inspires action in July 15 lecture

A crowd of 63 people attended the July 15 lecture by Tomas Lopez of Democracy North Carolina. He gave an engaging talk well received by our audience. Lopez shared glimpses of his work preserving voting rights across the country, particularly for the Southern Poverty Law Center. He discussed specific challenges North Carolina faces in terms of civil rights, voting rights, and gerrymandering, in particular court challenges and proposed amendments to the NC constitution.

Following his remarks, a great deal of time was spent in question and answers on a wide range of topics. A frequent focus was if our votes actually count and what we can do to preserve the vote.

Lopez stressed the need to form community rather than simply post on social media. He recommended getting involved in face to face gatherings—that such groups are the way to make changes and create movement.

He said, ”Voters need motivation, education and protection!”—all goals of Democracy NC, the organization which he now leads.

In his talk, he specifically shared the following steps:

1. Join our mailing list, which will get you information on our activities (there's a box on the front page of our site): https://democracync.org/. People can learn more about volunteer opportunities at https://democracync.org/volunteer/.

2. Use and share materials on our site, especially regarding the amendments:
Overall information: https://democracync.org/take-action/our-votes/
ID Amendment fact sheet: https://democracync.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/Voter-Restriction-Amendment-Fast-Facts-7.13.2018.pdf
A new fact sheet about multiple amendments is just about ready for publication, too. 

His organization is also sponsoring a film screening and fundraiser in Asheville on August 9. Find out more at this link.