This infuriating and electrifying doc dishes on a broken voting system.
“All In: The Fight for Democracy” is a documentary about the on-going fight for the right to vote. The 15th Amendment clearly states: “The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of race, color, or previous condition of servitude.” And the 19th Amendment says: “The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of sex.
Unfortunately, some states still don’t believe those laws, and that drew fights across the country. That’s why we had the Women’s Suffrage Movement, the KKK movement, the Selma to Montgomery marches, and so forth.
We meet Democrat and activist Stacey Abrams, who would have been the first female American-American Governor of Georgia, if she won the election, instead of Brian Kemp. The movie reveals her struggles and thriving in a broken nation, as well as the education on the fights that helped shaped it and the evils that took place. Carol Anderson (the American academic), Kristen Clarke (lawyer), and Eric Holder (lawyer) are among the other politicians to help educate us.
- Stacey was valedictorian at her high school graduation, but because of her race, a white security guard refused to let her and her family in the Governor’s Mansion (“You don’t belong here”).
- She had the burn the governor flag, because it had a confederate symbol on it. She had a burn permit, which meant she didn’t have to break the law to fix it.
- Her grandmother was afraid to vote, because of the violence going on, and felt limited, until she regained her courage.
- There’s a history lesson about an African-American man named Maceo Snipes being shot to death by four white men in 1946 for casting his vote in the Georgia Democratic primary. The message, “You vote, you die,” made him the only one of his kind to do so.
- From 1960-64, William Rehnquist started a ballet system called “Operation Eagle Eye,” which made African-American or Latino citizens read the Constitution as part of a literary test. If they couldn’t read, well then, that’s the early 60s for you.
- And what’s worse, voter suppression laws were spreading nationwide, and voter fraud is not getting enough evidence.
Directed by Liz Garbus and Lisa Cortes, and written by Jack Youngelson, “All In: The Fight for Democracy” angers you with how broken the voting system is, and pleases you with how there are still those willing to fight against the system or, at the very least, express their emotions. After all, the First Amendment gives you the right to free speech. I’m not too political, but I acknowledge how difficult this issue is, and how discrimination still affects the nation.
I’ve never heard of her before, but I can tell Stacey Abrams is able to express her commitment to America by explaining the hardships of the election system and discrimination. She may have lost the election for Governor, but she’s still passionate and open-minded, so she deserves to take the lead in the interview process and as a producer.
Whether you follow politics or not, you’re eyes need to be opened for the voting system. “All In: The Fight for Democracy” has my vote.
Now In Select Theaters and Streaming on Amazon Prime September 18.