Into the NAACP vs the Postal Service

If you’re not getting your mail on time, you may not be alone. Cost-cutting measures from Postmaster General Louis DeJoy have created substantial delays in delivering mail in many parts of the US. And with many voters opting to vote-by-mail due to the pandemic, lawmakers are worried these cuts could threaten the integrity of the upcoming election. The House interrupted its summer recess to call DeJoy to testify. DeJoy insisted the USPS is fully capable of pulling off vote-by-mail this election.

But many states and organizations remain unconvinced. In a lawsuit filed last week, the NAACP claims the USPS is violating people’s civil rights in a “blatant attempt to disenfranchise voters of color.”

And the debate over these changes isn’t just about getting through November. Some measures, like cutting overtime, could also hurt workers. The Post Office has historically been an important ladder into the middle class for Black Americans, and today, its workforce is more than 20% Black.

In this episode of Into America, we talk to Jay Thurmond, a veteran Black postal worker about what it is like doing his job in this moment. Trymaine Lee sits down with NAACP President Derrick Johnson to understand what his organization is fighting for in its suit against the USPS.

For a transcript, please visit https://www.msnbc.com/intoamerica.

Further Reading:

• Postmaster General DeJoy suspends changes to Postal Service to avoid any impact on election mail
• House passes bill to reverse Postal Service changes, infuse $25B in emergency funds
• Concerned postal workers lay blame for delays squarely on recent overhauls