Atiba Ellis

ICYMI — please feel free to attend live in Berkeley or via zoom. Link below

A Supreme Court ruling on voting rights could boost Republicans' redistricting efforts A Supreme Court case over Louisiana's congressional map could determine the future of Voting Rights Act protections against racial discrimination and allow Republicans to draw 19 more House seats.

ICYMI: audio and video commenting on the consequences of the #supremecourt ruling on the Voting Rights Act

www.npr.org/2025/10/15/n...

#votingrights #redistricting #gerrymandering #race #VRA

Two headlines on front page of NYT. First is "Trump Weighs Transforming Refugee Policy. White People Would be Given Preference." Second is "Justices May Ban Race as a Factor in District Maps. Nation's Political Balance Could Shift If Court Guts 1964 Law."

Where we stand, in long arc of history:

-Story on left, adding race as a factor when that favors white people.

-Story on right, banning race as a factor when that favors non-whites.

I often complain about NYT headlines and story-play. But these are strong. Including "If Court Guts 1965 Law."

Join us Oct. 16 at 12:30 PM EST for a teleforum hosted by FSU's Election Law Center!

Panelists Amy Howe,@atibaellis, @Nedfoley, and Jason Torchinsky will unpack the U.S. Supreme Court's oral argument in Louisiana v. Callais

RSVP: bit.ly/3KpGs8j

Your “read this” for today from @hansilowang.bsky.social of @npr.org: the stakes in today’s oral argument about Louisiana and the future of the Voting Rights Act

The “Vicious Voter” Myth and the Racial Authoritarianism in American Law This talk provides an account of the American vicious voter myth, examining how it gives expression to racial colorblindness and formalistic racial...

Join us on Tue, Oct 21, at 4 p.m. for a hybrid event with @atibaellis.bsky.social: "The 'Vicious Voter' Myth and the Racial Authoritarianism in American Law"

📍 2111 Bancroft Way, #104, Berkeley & on Zoom

Register today: bit.ly/AtibaEllis

Legal Expert Warns Latest Military Move Amid Trump's Crackdown Is 'Extremely' Authoritarian Law professors weigh in on what's most concerning about the recent National Guard deployments, with one emphasizing why the current situation is scary.

sg.news.yahoo.com/legal-expert...

Democracy & Destiny with Ciara Torres-Spelliscy Play Democracy & Destiny with Ciara Torres-Spelliscy and discover followers on SoundCloud | Stream tracks, albums, playlists on desktop and mobile.

Watching downloads of my podcasts there is a 3 way tie among @atibaellis.bsky.social & @jennifertaub.com & @hcrichardson.bsky.social break the tie here: m.soundcloud.com/profciara

Learn about how racism and voting are linked here from @atibaellis.bsky.social m.soundcloud.com/profciara/de... #race #voting #laraza #votingrights #felony #blacksky #disenfranchisement #civildeath ⛓️‍💥🗳️⚖️👇🏾 m.soundcloud.com/profciara/de...

In honor of its 60th anniversary today, I was just on C-SPAN this morning to do a quick explainer of the past, present, and future of the Voting Rights Act of 1965. #VRA #VotingRights #democracy

www.c-span.org/program/wash...

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Thoughts on July, Reconstruction, and a New Birth of Freedom

I have a habit of memorializing July 3, 1863 -- the end date of the Battle of Gettysburg. When I'm home, I will usually stream Episode Five of…

http://atibaellis.com/2025/07/04/thoughts-on-july-reconstruction-and-a-new-birth-of-freedom/

Justice Jackson's big picture view -- A Martian arriving here from another planet would see these circumstances and surely wonder: “what good is the Constitution, then?” www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/24p... #injunctions

The fact that the Court set LA v. Callas for re-argument is giving me "we need a minute bc we're lining it up to be a blockbuster opinion" vibes.

But that is worrisome for the viability of the VRA, especially in this era of robust "colorblindness" ideology from the Court.

W.E.B. Du Bois on Robert E. Lee:

“Either he knew what slavery meant when he helped maim and murder thousands in its defense, or he did not. If he did not he was a fool. If he did, Robert Lee was a traitor and a rebel–not indeed to his country, but to humanity and humanity’s God.”

I would counter that the postulation of “comprehension” as an object that obscures the true scope of fuckedness contributes to understanding this phenomenon as a communal post-truth epistemic dilemma

Just to be absolutely clear: Trump may not run for a third term.
The Constitution bars it.
The language is not open to debate.

22nd Amendment: "No person shall be elected to the office of the President more than twice"

This EO is a good reminder that everyone in the DC area should see The Shape of Power at SAAM. It's a fascinating show, and also a way of standing up to the philistines.

Trump’s executive order on elections: What it could mean for Ohio Election law experts think this order, like several others, will ultimately end up before the U.S. Supreme Court.

www.cleveland.com/news/2025/03...

I am honored to be delivering the Cannon Lecture at the University of Toledo on Wednesday, March 26th. The title of my talk is "Democracy and Inclusion in the Post-Civil Rights Era." More information is available at the link. www.utoledo.edu/law/events/c...

Excerpt of article in the March 14, 1965 edition of the New York Times entitled, “JOHNSON PLEDGES VOTE FOR ALL; CALLS SELMA 'AMERICAN TRAGEDY; URGES WALLACE TO SUPPORT HIM”

Road to the VRA:

60 years ago today, LBJ holds a Rose Garden press conference to announce that he will send a new voting rights bill to Congress tomorrow.

LBJ tells reporters, “Wherever there is discrimination, this law will strike down all restrictions used to deny people the right to vote.”

Our panel is live now!

The 3rd panel at 1pm entitled "Individual Rights and Democratic Participation" features:
- @profciara.bsky.social, Stetson Law
- Eugene Mazo, @duquesneuniversity.bsky.social
- @atibaellis.bsky.social, @casewestern.bsky.social
- Panel Moderator: @loriringhand.bsky.social, Georgia Law

(2/3)

Excited to be part of this timely and important event

The Black Pack with Adrianne Shropshire February 14, 2025 4 PM PST YouTube video by KBLA 1580

I'm going on in just a a few minutes (7:10 ET) to talk about the constitutional crisis and the state of democracy today. Take a listen at the link below . . . .

www.youtube.com/live/fDB2nps...

"What We Owe the Democracy: Martin Luther King, Jr., the Right to Vote, and the Call to Civic Duty" by Atiba R. Ellis - Canopy Forum Photo from Wikimedia Commons The right to vote is a contested concept in American society. The choices made by elected federal and state governments, on the behalf of “We the People” as to who is not ...

In these perilous times, it may be worth reflecting on the long struggle to overcome racial authoritarianism to create this democracy and how we all must contribute else it may be lost. #MLK #BlackHistoryMonth #democracy #votingrights #civicduty

canopyforum.org/2020/11/03/w...

I taught Dred Scott v. Sanford today in Property.

I was impressed by the students' insights about tiered personhood and oppression facilitated by law.

In that spirit, I want to re-share what I wrote in 2017 on "Teaching Dred Scott in the Era of Trump."

www.civilrights.pitt.edu/teaching-dre...

I see your point, but I also appreciate how the centralized approach gives a convenient place to meet up — to then leave and go somewhere interesting.

Separately, my problem was the convention center was unwelcoming, sterile, and vacuous. Where the work happens should be conducive to the work.

lol … sigh.

Trump Transition Live Updates: Matt Gaetz Withdraws as Attorney General Pick

Breaking News: Matt Gaetz, President-elect Trump’s pick for attorney general, said he was withdrawing from consideration for the role. Follow live updates.