In order to submit an abstract, please complete the form available here.

Even as the 2022 U.S. midterm elections and 2024 presidential campaign cycle draw near, America’s long history of voter suppression targeting Black and Latino communities seems set to add another grim chapter. New state laws put in place following the 2020 cycle – many premised on false claims of a stolen election and massive voter fraud embraced by the former President and his loyalists – seem set to disadvantage Black voters, in particular. Courts continue to dismantle gains made since the passage of the Voting Rights Act of 1965, and efforts to introduce legislative reforms to protect the franchise at the federal level have failed.

These very real challenges to democratic participation are compounded by an information environment which continues to reinforce the oppression of Black and Brown people, as disinformation, bigotry, and discrimination continues to thrive on online platforms. Despite some gains, such as an audit at Facebook that led to the creation of a team focused on civil rights issues, there remains a great deal to do to ensure the major tech platforms are a part of the solution, rather than part of the problem.

[…]