Three Wins Today, Aug 22, 2025

There are a shocking number of Republican judges consistently ruling the right way.

I often get accused of toxic positivity, so I just want to address that for a second. I chose to fight from a place of hope rather than catatonic fear. I don’t think it’s productive to try to make change when you think it’s all a lost cause anyway. When we don’t celebrate our wins, we become convinced there’s nothing we can do to win, so things that should invigorate us just make us more helpless.

Don’t for one second think that I think everything is fine, I don’t, things are really really bad, but what good does it do for me to say that? Who does it help? How does it encourage you to keep fighting?

In my opinion, it doesn’t, but showing that we ARE winning many fights, and we DO have so many people, especially in elected offices (so your vote does, in fact matter) fighting alongside us, shows that we aren’t losing everything and that we have power to create change, even now.

So, think whatever you want of me, but I will never stop sharing how we are fighting AND winning, every single day. And I hope, at some point, maybe you’ll join me.

Here are today’s wins!

And you can find Doomerella’s take at the end of this post!

climbing.com (Photo: Delaney Corcoran)

1. Tue, Aug 19 - Bush appointee, Judge Sharion Aycock, ruled that the Mississippi Supreme Court district lines do, in fact, violate the Voting Rights Act. MS is one of the states that votes for Supreme Court Justices, and, we are learning more and more how important these elections truly are.

   There are three districts and these lines have barely changed in the last 100 years. The only change was in 1987, almost 40 years ago, when the only Black district was cut in half. In the entire history of the MSSC, there have only been four Black Justices in a state where 40% of the population is Black.

   In her opinion, Judge Aycock said:

   Plaintiffs have demonstrated a history of official discrimination, socioeconomic effects of discrimination, and racial appeals in political campaigns, to which the Court will not accord significant weight. The Court finds that the valid state policies, when weighed against the factors on which Plaintiffs have prevailed, foreclose Plaintiffs’ section 2 district line challenge.

   This is a huge win, and one most people probably never considered as necessary before, especially if you live in a state where the Supreme Court is appointed.

   Lead plantiff, Draymone White said:

   Throughout our state’s history, Black voters have been boxed out from choosing justices who make decisions about our lives and our rights. Today’s ruling restores hope that Mississippi’s future will be guided by a judiciary chosen by all of the people—not just some. This victory is bigger than me—it’s a powerful affirmation of fair representation.

   Judge Aycock is giving the legislature one chance to redraw the maps, and if they fail, I suspect an independent commission, of some kind, will be created.

   This is a huge win for Mississippi and democracy at large!

2. Fri, Aug 15 - Kareem Abdul-Jabbar put out a video with UCLA to help raise awareness for UCLA’s research work and how to help protect it from Trump’s funding freeze.

   The web page also has links to share your story on how UCLA research has affected your life and a pledge you can sign in support of UCLA research and the UC system at large.

   This is a win for several reasons. First, there is a bravery in Abdul-Jabbar coming out in support of something Trump hates, as he is trying to destroy anyone who does. It also shows that the UC system is not backing down. And that’s more important to acknowledge and praise than ever.

3. Mon, Aug 18 - In an 11th hour decision, a three judge panel including two Clinton appointees, Judge Barry Silverman, and Judge Sidney Thomas, as well at Trump appointee, Judge Mark Bennett, blocked a copper mining company from taking over Oak Flat, an important site for the San Carlos Apache Tribe.

   This battle has been going on for 20 years, the protections first faced significant pressure in 2014. Unfortunately this isn’t the end of the story. The mining company wants to create the largest copper mine in the world and this is the site they are set on. But one of our best tools right now is our ability to slow things down. The slower we can make this process, the higher the likelihood that it will be stopped for good someday soon.

   Wendsler Noise Sr, of Appache Stronghold, who has been working to keep the area protected, said:

   This Injunction comes in a desperate time of asking for miracles, all over the country and all over the world, and to be granted this, for the United States government to do the right thing, not allowing a foreign mining company to take what's precious from the people as far as the religion and the water and everything that sustains us in life, we welcome this decision that was made.

   Hopefully this decision holds, at least for a while. There’s a lot of work still to be done, but this is a win.

   Shout out to AZ Mirror for their fantastic reporting!

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So those are just some of the wins I found today. Progress is slow. We can’t just snap our fingers and make everything okay, but winning these fights makes a difference.

Our voices are our superpower, but only when we use them!