The State of Tennessee Has a Target on My Back
A Choice Between Being Silenced or Using My Voice
For the record, I never imagined having to write about this week’s subject matter, but communities of color across Tennessee, my family, and I have already been pulled into this undertow.
SUPPRESSION
A few days ago, I was flipping through a small stack of mail that someone brought in from our mailbox. One envelope was addressed to me from the Tennessee Coordinator of Elections. The opening paragraphs stated the following:
Dear ROQUE MARCELO, Our office has received information that appears to indicate that your voter information matches with an individual who may not have been a United States citizen at the time of obtaining a Tennessee driver license or ID card. Under Tennessee Code Annotated 2-10-107, it is illegal for an individual who is not a citizen of the United States to vote in a local, state, or federal election in Tennessee. Illegal voting is a felony. The potential penalty is at least 2 years in jail and a fine of up to $5,000. We need to ensure Tennessee's voter rolls are correct.
The letter goes on to give me the option to either fill out an attached form to remove myself from Tennessee’s voter registration list or to send a photocopy of proof that I am a citizen, such as birth certificate, US passport, US naturalization documentation, or any other valid form of proof approved by US immigration services.
The name and signature of Mark Goins, Tennessee’s “Coordinator of Elections,” ends the letter.
After reading all of this, I asked myself, "Did I do something wrong?” If I got this letter, am I on a list of people who are being closely scrutinized and will be shunned at the voting booth?
After many years of dealing with the arbitrary demands of the U.S. immigration system in my own arduous march toward US citizenship, I know all too well the pressure to comply with a government agency’s requests—to dot all my i’s, have all the right answers, fill out all the right forms, pay the fees, and obey no matter what the cost. Almost on autopilot, I started to make plans to get a copy of my U.S. passport in order to prove and verify my citizenship. I have been conditioned to comply in matters such as these. If I do as they say, then everything will be alright, right? It was the one thing I could think of to do to resolve this and reduce my growing anxiety.
Thankfully, I received more information.
Within a few days, news on social media started appearing about this letter. Somewhere between 14,000 and 20,000 of them were sent across the state. In my family, both my mother and I (we are both naturalized U.S. citizens) received them. From what most people can tell, the vast majority of these recipients were people of color, immigrants, and people with Latino or foreign-sounding names.
Considering my own reaction to this, I can easily see how immigrants who are new to the United States could get scared and confused. This is how intimidation happens. The included “Removal Request Form” feels foreboding enough.
I am deeply worried that thousands of immigrants who received this letter will now remove themselves from TN’s voter registration list. A veiled threat such as this can feel very destabilizing to someone who has experienced being on the edge of deportation. Even though I am now a law-abiding U.S. citizen who pays taxes and contributes to the local economy through the work I do, echoes of the many years of stress and depression I felt waiting for my green card application to go through still linger. It is the kind of PTSD that I would not wish on anyone.
Any registered voter who fills out this removal form will be effectively disempowered. People of color and immigrants like me will be silenced. This saddens me to no end.
NONCOMPLIANCE
I have decided not to respond to the letter at this point. This decision did not come easily, but it was influenced by the following polka-dot points:
If there was such a grave concern for integrity within our voter registration records, why didn’t every registered voter across the state get this letter? Why did only a select few receive them?
The letter is confusing. For instance, in Tennessee, one does not have to be a citizen to have a driver’s license or state ID. There are immigrants who have green cards, work permit IDs, or whose applications are in process who have driver’s licenses. The letter’s wording implies that citizenship is required when it is actually not.
After I obtained citizenship in May of 2023, I drove to a TN DMV office to update my driver’s license and to register to vote. A cordial DMV employee took a new photo of me and helped me fill out a voter registration card. Before leaving, I paid the fees for these services. The entire exchange happened in under 5 minutes. As such, I have, in fact, registered to vote as a US citizen at an official state agency. What is there to prove?
The Tennessee Immigrant and Refugee Rights Coalition (TIRRC) is urging people not to respond to this letter and to vote as usual. They are also asking recipients to fill out the ACLU (American Civil Liberties Union) of Tennessee’s online intake form. I have done so and stated my willingness to participate in case they decide to take further actions on behalf of all recipients. (The words “class action” come to mind.)
The timing of all of this feels quite suspect. We are within 5 months of another contentious presidential election. Even though Tennessee is a vibrantly red state, I cannot help but wonder if letters such as these are part of a multi-state initiative to target specific populations and diminish their voting powers.
These letters are part of a long tradition of voter suppression in TN. The ultra-conservative Republican super-majority in TN’s state legislature maintains its power largely because of its redistricting practices in urban areas where Black and Latino communities live. (TN has the highest rate of disenfranchisement within Black and Latino communities in the country.) Lastly, the Supreme Court has shredded the Voting Rights Act on the national level for quite some time now.
Voting is one of the most important responsibilities of a US citizen. I proudly voted for the first time last fall for a primary election, and I intend to do so as often as possible.
GENEROSITY
If there are powers that be who want to suppress my right to vote and disenfranchise the families and communities of color to which I belong, then I will respond with kindness and generosity toward others who have been disempowered and need as much help as possible.
Later this month, on Sunday, July 21, I will perform for a fundraiser organized by the AYP (American Youths for Palestine) and Shoes Off Entertainment at DRKMTTR Collective in East Nashville. A large chunk of the proceeds will go toward their mutual aid fund that supports multiple families in Gaza. (Tickets can be purchased in advance by clicking HERE. Get yours now before they are all gone.)
As of this posting, here are the current numbers from the Palestinian Ministry of Health (as reported by Al-Jazeera) of deaths and injuries in Gaza and the West Bank since this genocide began to take shape in the fall of last year:
Gaza
Killed: at least 37,953 people, including more than:
More than 15,000 children killed
Injured: more than 87,266 people
Missing: more than 10,000
Occupied West Bank
Killed: at least 561 people, including more than:
138 children
Injured: more than 5,300
While I post on social media about this ongoing genocide perpetrated by Israel and attend pro-Palestine rallies in Nashville, I have been wanting to do more. Performing at this show with my band is a step in that direction.
I will not support fascism and will not submit to voter intimidation. I retain my freedom to choose who and what I want to support.
I proceed with compassion and deliberate acts of kindness toward Palestinian people who have suffered from immense injustice and violent destruction for over a century at the cruel hands of Israel.
We all have choices in life. I choose to not be silenced and to help others in need.
Upcoming Shows: July 21, 2024 at DRKMTTR (Nashville, TN)
Show at 8:00 PM (doors open at 7:00 PM)
Fundraiser for AYP Mutual Aid for Palestine
You can hear my new song, Vampire, on every major streaming platform, including Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube Music, and Tidal.
Give it a listen, share it, and add it to a playlist if you want. Search for Roqué Marcelo or visit any of the following links:
Spotify
Apple Music
Tidal
Amazon Music
Deezer
Last weekend, I attended the inaugural Rutherford County LGBTQ Pride event (Ruco Pride) in the next county over. Set on the grounds of a picturesque historic mansion in a park, the event was well organized and had a sweet and casual vibe about it. I met a few queer vendors, watched some drag queens slaying on stage, and enjoyed myself overall. My Dear Husband put on his stilts and did some juggling to entertain a few folks. It always feels good to share my pride with my community.
Most notably, I met Luis Mata. He is a local organizer who works for TIRRC and is running for the TN State Representative seat of District 49, which encompasses the ethnically diverse northern areas of Rutherford County and southeastern parts of Nashville. If elected, he would be the first person of Latino descent to be a part of the TN legislature and another person who could stand up to the Republican super-majority that is in power now. He has a strong chance of winning, and I hope he does.
To listen to my music, watch my films, or see my visual art, please visit:
WPR is my weekly labor of love. Please consider becoming a free or paid subscriber to receive a thoughtful, ad-free, and algorithm-free issue every other Friday. Every cent supports all my creative work. Thank you for reading.