To the Editor:

I remember proudly going to register to vote when I turned 18 in my hometown of Rome, Georgia. After filling out the forms, I noticed a jar of beans sitting on a shelf. With my usual curiosity, I asked about the jar. The clerk told me very calmly, “If a N-word wants to register to vote, they have to guess the correct number of beans in the jar.” In shock I said, “You didn’t ask me to guess the number of beans in the jar.” Quickly, the clerk said, “Of course not. You are not a N-word.” 

Maybe I shouldn’t have been surprised since the department store across the street had two water fountains — “White” and “Colored” — and one was never washed. The Greyhound bus station had a separate Colored waiting room. I also remember the Black doctor in town being arrested and having cigarettes put out on his back because he attempted to eat at the same lunch counter where I sat as an 11-year-old.

The good news is we saw this unfairness fade through the efforts of many brave Black and some moral white people supporting equality. Then there was the Voting Rights act of 1965 which enforced the 15th Amendment. Among the Black leaders to give his all was Congressman John Lewis. I was fortunate enough to hear him speak during a Diversity Celebration at Saint Mark United Methodist Church in Atlanta, when I was the Senior Minister there. His example and challenge to get involved in “Good Trouble” touched legions of us.

Then, April 29, 2026, became a day of shame and a reminder of the Jim Crow era from the late 19th century to the mid-1960s. (A part of our history where persons of color had fewer rights, like voting, which were enforced by strict legal and violent means.) Almost instantly, southern states began redrawing voting districts with the clear purpose of neutralizing the votes of Black people. This obvious prejudice occurred with joy and full intention. The votes of Black citizens that make up 20-30% of some states are being gerrymandered away. This is not a political or party issue. This is about what is right, ethical and fair.

I don’t have an immediate answer for this injustice unless it sensitizes us to vote in large numbers to undo an embarrassing tragedy. In the meantime, I say again, vote, and seek some good trouble.

Dr. Mike Cordle
United Methodist Minister, retired
Highlands