Virginia civil rights leaders decry 'misinformation' in redistricting fight

[RandySF]

(VIRGINIA MERCURY) - Civil rights leaders in Virginia on Wednesday denounced a political campaign opposing the state’s April 21 redistricting referendum, accusing it of spreading misinformation and exploiting civil rights imagery to sway voters.

At a news conference at Maggie L. Walker Memorial Plaza in Richmond, leaders with the NAACP Virginia State Conference sharply criticized mailers distributed by the Justice for Democracy PAC, a group opposing the referendum that has drawn scrutiny for its messaging and funding.

“On this April Fool’s Day, don’t be fooled into voting ‘no,’” Gaylene Kanoyton, political action chair of the NAACP Virginia State Conference said.

She emphasized that the campaign’s messaging relies on misleading claims and selective historical references, including mailers invoking the civil rights movement and quoting former President Barack Obama out of context.



https://www.12onyourside.com/2026/04/02/virginia-civil-rights-leaders-decry-misinformation-redistricting-fight/

[underpants]

1. Text my wife got.

Hi this is Maria and I wanted to flag that President Barack Obama, Governor Abigail Spanberger, the Richmond Times-Dispatch, and Washington Post all have come out against gerrymandering.

Next month in Virginia, democracy is on the ballot—vote NO against Richmond insiders and politicians attempt to take our voice away.

President Obama says, “Let voters decide, not politicians.”

Governor Spanberger says, “Gerrymandering is detrimental to our democracy.”

The Washington Post says “politicians are presenting the proposed amendment to voters in the most brazenly dishonest way imaginable.”

And the Richmond Times-Dispatch says this is “a power grab that would overturn the will of voters.”

Say NO to gerrymandering – vote early or mail back your ballot today!

Paid for by Justice for Democracy PAC.

“STOP” to end

[drray23]

2. It is too late. As usual, our party is utterly useless in controlling communication.

I too received these flyers. I am convinced they will falsely make many democrats vote no. Besides a few ads being run in the Nova market, no meaningful push back was done by the democrats. Everywhere, I see signs saying vote no, I have yet to see a single yes sign.
Apparently, planting signs is beneath us, democrats.

Contrast that the efforts that Newsom made in California to make sure prop 50 passed. It was even on the national news.

Here in Virginia, crickets.

I fully expect that no will win.

[GreenWave]

3. When I went with four others to vote yes I was initially confronted by a Magat telling me I better respect the

constitution and vote no. (The bastid was the vote no guy way out of line with the attitude.) To his shock, I got closer. Then as he looked up at me, I could see he was not quite the bully he thought he was, I told him, "Tell that to Texas where your kind didn't even allow a public vote."
"Tell it to New York!"
"You must not be American at all because that is not the correct way to pronounce California where the people voted""