I know what it’s like not to be able to vote. Stop delaying this NC court order.

For the past 18 years, I’ve been executive director of Community Success Initiative (CSI), a nonprofit based in Raleigh that works on behalf of people who find themselves entangled in the criminal justice system.

I started this organization after a 5-year period of incarceration in the N.C. Department of Public Safety, after a series of poor choices.

When I was released in 2005, I was placed on probation for eight years. At that time in North Carolina, your voting rights were taken away until you completed your incarceration plus any parole or probation time. It’s still that way today.

My probation ended in 2013, which meant I was unable to vote in the 2012 presidential election — the first-ever opportunity to elect an African American president. And I, an African American man, could not vote.

The sadness I felt was profound, especially after having been raised in such a rich civic family tradition. My mom spent countless hours in the community on voter education and registration. My dad was the precinct chair for 50-plus years at the Robeson County Board of Elections — in the “Gaddy Precinct.”

I knew from an early age the importance and power of voting.

My personal experiences and my work in the community over nearly two decades have allowed me to see up-close the toll that disenfranchisement can take on individuals and families. I’ve seen the impacts it also has on communities across this state.

In many cases people who remain on probation after having done their time lose hope. They feel like they have no power to effect change, that society has refused to allow them a second chance in life. It’s already difficult to access jobs, housing, education and human services. On top of that you’re not allowed to vote — even if you’re working, paying taxes and contributing to your community.

Most of those impacted by felony disenfranchisement are African American males. Although we make up just just 9% of the voting age population in North Carolina, Black men represent nearly 37% of those disenfranchised by the current law.

On March 28 a N.C. trial judges ruled that a state law banning people with felony records from voting after they get out of prison was unconstitutional. It was a landmark decision in a lawsuit filed against the state by my organization, Community Success Initiative. The ruling marked the largest expansion of voting rights in North Carolina since the Voting Rights Act of 1965.

I am very excited about the impact this ruling can have in our communities. The right to vote will be restored for more than 56,000 people. They’ll have a say in how they’re governed and can vote for officials who support second chance policies and practices.

I was working in my home office one evening this week when I got word that the NC. Court of Appeals has issued a stay that puts the March 28 decision on hold. It was like a slap in the face to all of our efforts. I thought back to my childhood of civic engagement, and it reminded me of all we’ve fought for.

But this has renewed my conviction to remain in this fight. We are in this for the long-haul because we believe and know that those who’ve been entangled in the criminal justice system deserve full access to our democracy. With the March 28 decision, those of us who have been unconstitutionally disenfranchised for decades finally got the justice we deserve.

We stand prepared to fight for our right to vote. We’ll continue to fight for our disenfranchised brothers and sisters.

This story was originally published April 7, 2022 at 12:07 PM.