In the state of North Carolina, the last half-decade has been a whirlwind of political drama. From the redistricting efforts of 2011 as well as 2015 and beyond, to the passage of a pair of controversial bills—House Bill 589 in July 2013 and just recently, House Bill 2 in March 2016—the divide between Republicans and Democrats of the state legislature has widened. And at the center of it all is a man who is a uniquely experienced elected official—Senator Daniel Blue.
With over 30 years of experience in politics, Senator Blue understands the power of democracy and the meaning of a vote as anyone can. When the Supreme Court struck down major provisions of the Voting Rights Act in June 2013 with its ruling in Shelby County v. Holder, the Republican supermajority in the North Carolina General Assembly quickly exploited it. A firestorm started with the passage of H.B. 589, and it is still burning today.
The issue of voting rights is more than simply a divide along party lines; it also involves race—a separation of white and black that hearkens back to the days of the civil rights movement. Blue has accumulated a series of firsts for an African-American politician in the Tar Heel State—he was the first black man to become Speaker of the N.C. House of Representatives, to serve as President of the National Conference of State Legislatures, and to be selected as chairman of the Duke University Board of Trustees. Blue, as a veteran of the racial tensions of the 1960s, sees a parallel between that struggle and today’s. When confronted with a situation that he calls a political “farce,” his response was clear: not under his watch would fifty years of progress be “undone overnight.”
Blue can see the fight over H.B 589 in unusual depth. As a state senator, he knows what went into the creation of such an incredibly controversial law. Furthermore, as an African-American, he is acutely conscious of what it means to have one’s vote limited, and knows how critical that vote is to the many North Carolina citizens that H.B. 589 will disenfranchise.
As a former representative, he understands his constituency and values the relationship he shares with them. Blue is a North Carolinian in the same way that the people he represents are—and their desires for democracy, in most cases, are no different than his. According to him, the people of North Carolina deserve the same, uninhibited right to vote that all Americans are entitled to—one without restrictions, gerrymandering, and the fear that their voices will not be heard.
As a lifelong politician, he knows the inner workings of politics. Blue says the division between North Carolina’s two parties is the result of non-communication, ignorance, and the inability to compromise.
Above all, however, Blue is concerned about the future of politics in his home state. He believes that as a result of the things that have unfolded, specifically in the last five years, democracy is now hanging in the balance.
In a wide-ranging interview with Mitchell Gladstone and Cassidy Seggern, Blue discussed all of these topics and more. This site serves as a guide to Blue’s understanding of House Bill 589, his biography and life in North Carolina politics, and ultimately what the meaning of a vote is. Listen to our audio clips to hear specific excerpts from the interview and explore Blue’s timeline and biography to learn more about his life and relation to politics in North Carolina. We hope this site provides you with a deeper insight of the issues surrounding H.B. 589 and voting rights in N.C.
