Assembly Required with Stacey Abrams What’s Next for Voting Rights, and Why Activism Matters (w/ Jane Fonda)
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May 5, 2026 
Jane Fonda, actor and lifelong activist, talks about reviving the Committee for the First Amendment and mobilizing the entertainment industry. Short, punchy conversations cover defending free speech, why media mergers threaten independent voices, tactics for effective activism, and the importance of local elections and collective action.
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Turn Redistricting Into Local Issues
- Localize redistricting fights by connecting map changes to everyday issues like zoning and affordable housing.\n- Stacey Abrams advises making loud, sustained community pressure and showing neighbors what's at stake to overcome exhaustion and apathy.
Why Black Voters Are Disproportionately Hurt
- Historic amendments plus Jim Crow created targeted suppression; the Voting Rights Act had remedied manipulative maps via Section 2 and Section 5.\n- Abrams highlights that Black voters are disproportionately hurt because those who devalue their votes draw the lines.
Three Practical Steps To Respond Now
- Fight back by registering voters, electing Democrats at state/local levels, and using blue-state legislation to push protections.\n- Abrams emphasizes long-term planning toward the 2030 census and 2032 elections to rebuild power.