John,
The filibuster was created by racists.
The filibuster is not, as you might think, in the Constitution, or intended to be a foundational part of Senate procedure. The first true forerunner to the filibuster appeared in 1841, and it re-emerged after the Civil War and the end of Reconstruction, as a way for racist senators, many of them from southern states, to stop the federal government from protecting the civil rights of Black Americans.
From 1877 to 1964, the only bills that were blocked by filibusters were civil rights bills, including multiple anti-lynching bills.
After the 1964 Civil Rights Act was passed—defeating a 74 day filibuster—white supremacists grew more obstructionist and created the modern filibuster. Knowing that they could not win if they defended racism and segregation on the merits, they framed unlimited Senate debate as a foundational principle of Senate procedure and practice. In reality, it is only in the last few decades that the Senate has been held captive to the notion that a Senate minority can block any legislation that lacks 60 votes to end debate.
But the filibuster’s racism isn’t just in the past, because the filibuster continues to serve racist ends to this day.
States across the country have restricted voting rights in recent years, including a spate of new restrictions in recent months—and we know that many of these restrictions disproportionately affect Black and Brown communities. But until the filibuster is defeated, pending voting rights bills, like the For the People Act and the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act, are unlikely to pass the Senate.
So where does that leave us?
If you’re ready to end the filibuster, ask your friends and family to email their senators by sharing on Facebook, Twitter, or by forwarding this email. If we’re going to get rid of the filibuster, we need everyone to speak out.
You can also call your senators’ offices at 202-224-3121 and tell them to end the filibuster now.
This is not an easy fight. But ending the filibuster is a fight worth having, because a racist, anti-democratic Senate procedure should not stand in the way of the progress our democracy needs.
Thank you,
Noah Bookbinder
President, CREW
