After the U.S. Supreme Court’s landmark 2013 decision in Shelby v. Holder — which gutted the Voting Rights Act’s preclearance protections against attacks on voting rights in most Southern states — the burden of addressing voting discrimination fell to us. Now, communities facing discriminatory voting laws have to file lawsuits themselves, sometimes after the discriminatory laws have already taken effect.

In 2013, to combat the consequences of the Shelby decision and foster community-led voting rights campaigns, the North Carolina-based Southern Coalition for Social Justice (SCSJ) launched SOLVE.

In the 2010s, SCSJ partnered with communities of color and low-wealth communities throughout the South to defend and advance their political, social, environmental, and economic rights. By using the combined skills of movement lawyers, researchers, organizers and storytellers, SCSJ has helped people develop strategies to overcome obstacles and achieve their vision for their communities.

At its height, SOLVE brought together over 50 organizations, including members from colleges and universities, and over 100 affiliates involved in voting rights efforts mainly throughout the South.