The Alabama New South Coalition (ANSC) held its Fall Convention at the Embassy Suites Hotel in downtown Montgomery on Saturday, October 5, 2024. Delegates from ANSC county chapters met to consider the candidates and issues in the upcoming November election.

For endorsements, the ANSC recessed its meeting and went into session as the Alabama New South Alliance (ANSA) the ‘sister” or parallel organization that deals with partisan political choices.

The ANSA endorsed Kamala Harris and Tim Walz for President and Vice- President of the United States; Terri Sewell for Alabama 7th Congressional District; Shomari Figures for Alabama 2nd. Congressional District; Greg Griffin for Chief Justice of the Alabama Supreme Court; Tanya Chestnut for Alabama State School Board, District 5; and Collins Petttaway for District 4 Circuit Judge, which overlaps several districts. All are Democratic candidates. Local county chapters will endorse for more local election contests.

Several of the candidates endorsed by ANSA appeared at the meeting and made statements and answered voter questions. Shomari Figures, the Democratic candidate for the newly redistricted 2nd Congressional District was present. His new district stretches across the state from Russell, Bullock, Macon and Barber counties on the east to Washington and Mobile counties on the western side of Alabama. The new boundaries of the 2nd CD were decided in litigation which went to the U. S. Supreme Court, three times in the last five years.

Shomari Figures, who is the son of Michael Figures (a founder of ANSC) and Vivian Figures (both Alabama State Senators) said, “ We cannot let this election slip. Even though I have been outspent on TV by 9 to 1, we must win this race, to show if given a chance that Black people will rise to the occasion and utilize the district that the courts created.”

Figures said that his attention would be focused on healthcare in the district and the expansion of Medicaid coverage, under the Affordable Care Act, to those without insurance coverage. He said, “Four hospitals serving my district have closed or reduced services due to declining patient revenues. Bullock County Hospital and Grove Hill Hospital have changed to only Emergency Health Centers, Monroe County has ended maternal care and other services, and Thomasville has suspended operations. There is a real crisis in rural health care in my district, that actually could be alleviated if the Republican Governor and Legislative leaders agreed to Medicaid expansion.”

The ANSA also endorsed Congresswoman Terri Sewell, incumbent seven term Congresswoman representing the 7th Congressional District, which includes Greene County. ANSA also endorsed Tanya Chestnut for the District 5 Alabama State School Board, which includes Sumter and other Black Belt counties

Montgomery Circuit Judge, Greg Griffin, said he felt that Black people need to serve on the appellate courts of our state, which is why he is running for Chief Justice of the Alabama Supreme Court. He was unopposed in the Democratic primary but now is running statewide against the right-wing Republican incumbent, Tom Parker.

The ANSC meeting also had a panel explaining the problems which will arise from Project 2025, the 925-page comprehensive plan of the right-wing Heritage Foundation, for implementation if Donald Trump is elected President for a second term. The panel spoke to the implications of Project 2025 to devastate the Federal workforce, abolish the Department of Education and its programs for low-income students, including reduced cost meals, HeadStart and Title 1 funding. Project 2025 is a plan to revive the Comstock Act which will place a national ban on abortion, curtail birth control and limit IVF treatments.

Donald Trump has tried to disassociate himself from Project 2025, but 140 former staff members worked on its detailed implementation guideline. Other former Trump staffers are collecting resumes of loyal Trump workers to be used to replace fired civil service employees, to run the government within the new guidelines.

Congressman Troy Carter traveled from New Orleans, Louisiana to be the ANSC luncheon speaker. Carter praised ANSC for its history of civic participation and involving Black voters in the electoral process. Of Shomari Figures, he said, “You can’t hope him in or pray him in, but you must vote him and Kamala Harris and Tim Walz into office.”