Janai Nelson

President and Director-Counsel, The Legal Defense Fund

“The Legal Defense Fund (LDF), a Ford grantee, has been involved in nearly all precedent-setting litigation related to the voting rights of Black people and other people of color since we were founded by future Associate Justice of the Supreme Court Thurgood Marshall 86 years ago, in 1940. Since then, LDF’s victories have paved the way for major advancements in voting rights, from Justice Marshall’s landmark victory for Black voters in Texas that ended all-white primaries to LDF’s representation of the foot soldiers who led the Selma to Montgomery march that prompted passage of the Voting Rights Act of 1965.

Our work is as urgent in 2026 as it was in 1940. In recent years, the federal Voting Rights Act of 1965 has been severely weakened, and attacks on voting rights are on the rise. In every election, voters across the country must overcome steep barriers to the ballot box, including redistricting designed to silence voters. LDF’s litigation, policy, organizing, research, and strategic communications converge to restore and expand safeguards to our multiracial democracy and ensure voters’ voices are heard in every election.

LDF’s mission remains the same as when we began: to achieve racial justice, equality, and an inclusive society. As Justice Marshall said, ‘In recognizing the humanity of our fellow beings, we pay ourselves the highest tribute.’”

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