Michelle Hudgins on the Voting Rights, Civil Rights, & More

From redistricting fights to debates over the U.S. census, the very foundation of American democracy is under constant pressure. We have been intentional over the last six months about broadening our guests to a national roster to gain a better understanding of what is impacting both Los Angeles and the nation as a whole. That’s why we were honored to welcome Michelle Hudgins, Vice President of Communications at the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, and someone with an endlessly impressive background, to the Legal Lens Podcast. In this timely conversation, Hudgins shared her deep expertise on the national and local battles impacting voting rights, the dangerous consequences of political gerrymandering, and major threats to civil rights. She doesn’t just sound the alarm; she equips listeners with hope and actionable steps to respond and make a difference.

For a deeper, more convenient dive into these topics, I strongly encourage you to listen to our 35-minute discussion on the Legal Lens Podcast. You can find us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Simplecast, and everywhere you get your podcasts for free. Alternatively, listen in the player below.

Michelle Hudgins on the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, the Voting Rights Act, Texas Redistricting in 2025, the Overlap of Civil Rights, Immigration, and Deportations, and How to Make a Difference!

I have no doubt you’ll be both informed and inspired by this powerful conversation with Michelle Hudgins, a leader who brings clarity and urgency to some of the most pressing civil rights issues of our time. To help you easily navigate the episode, here are relevant time stamps:

8:50 – History and Urgent Status of the Voting Rights Act
13:30 – How Redistricting and Census Changes Threaten Representation
25:30 – The Intersection of Civil Rights, Immigration, and Deportations
29:20 – How You Can Make a Difference

Who Is Michelle Hudgins?

Michelle Hudgins is the Vice President of Communications at the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights. If the name is ringing bells, it’s likely because this is an incredible organization with a 75-year-old legacy, and its President and CEO has been a long-time friend of KBLA Talk 1580.

Michelle Hudgins is a veteran in her field with over 30 years of experience in marketing, branding, and public relations, and before working with this organization, she was the Senior Vice President of Communications at the Pew Research Center, another organization I have immense respect for.

Hudgins has her Bachelor of Arts degree in Mass Media from Hampton University, Virginia, and she was able to shed light on a lesser-known side of Capitol Hill, as well as her experience.

“When you think about Washington, D.C., there are political votes, people who work on the Hill, and then there’s the think tanks and nonprofits or NGOs, as we like to call them, operating in this space of really helping to influence strategy, make policy recommendations, and move the needle on the critical issues on a national and even international level for what is happening in states and communities,” Hudgins explained.

Hudgins got her start doing something she has been dedicated to doing her entire life – giving back and championing great causes.

“I started working at the American Red Cross in Washington, D.C. I worked across a lot of disaster and crisis issues and moved on to education policy, which is where I got my exposure to a lot of the policy work because when you think about education, people automatically think about teachers, students, and classroom, but there is this whole other issue of everything that happens in and around a school that impacts the student’s ability to learn. Whether that is the funding that happens in their schools, healthcare, how their parents are being resourced for jobs and information, or their housing, there are all of these disparate issues that just kind of come to the forefront. I continue to find a lot of personal value in helping to move the needle for those individuals who are impacted and need help the most – I’m all about continuing to evolve that work,” she smiled.

After her tenure with the Red Cross, Hudgins would go on to work in housing and community development with Needle Works America, and then go on to work with Pew for approximately two and a half years. As you’ll hear, we wasted no time getting into the most pressing issues at hand!

What is the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights?

Hudgins’ gift for communications was on full display as she communicated what the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights is!

“The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights is a coalition of 240 civil rights organizations across the country, some at a national level and some at a state and local level, that have come together to try and further civil and human rights causes,” explained Hudgins.

She also provided excellent insight into the history and purpose behind this incredible organization.

“This organization was founded because we realized that we’re better together and can accomplish more goals as a coalition. It was established in 1950 with a lot of different, diverse perspectives from founders Philop Randolve, who was the head of the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters, Roy Wilkins, who was President of the NAACP for quite some time, and Arnold Aronson, who was a leader of the National Jewish Community Relations and Advisory Council,” she said

Among the many incredible things that this coalition has accomplished, Hudgins noted, one that she is particularly proud of is playing a pivotal role in the Voting Rights Act and, more recently, the reappointment of that act. Still, she was nothing if not realistic and candid.

“It’s amazing to me that, 75 years later, we still have the same rights and are still talking about voting rights and people having basic access to food and healthcare and affordable homes. You would think that we would be talking about quote-unquote the new civil rights, but we’re still dealing with the same civil rights issues our parents were and trying to protect something as basic as the right to vote. You’d think we would have progressed past it as a country,” she added.

What Protections Did the Voting Rights Act Provide?

Hudgins provided a great overview of the protections afforded by the Voting Rights Act of 1965.

“The Voting Rights Act allowed individuals to have the opportunity to vote for elected representatives who would then go to Washington, D.C., and vote on their behalf on national issues that impacted them. It also gave them the ability to elect people who represented them locally. It ensures that their voice is heard on issues that are critical to them, such as what their schools look like, how much money their community spends on healthcare, and how much money is available for parks, streets, and other programs,” explained Hudgins.

Hudgins also noted an important protection that is sometimes overlooked.

“The Voting Rights Act also ensures that there are resources for affordable housing, better jobs, quality healthcare, and all the things that are impacted by what someone says or does in a representative meeting. When you don’t have a say in those issues, you end up with things you don’t need, like high speed railways in the middle of nowhere or random water walls that don’t have anything on either side of them, and you end up not having things that you do need, like not having after school programs for students to keep them off the street or summer food programs so children can at least get one square meal a day” explained Hudgins.

What’s the Current State of the Voting Rights Act?

Hudgins has a deep understanding of this law and its protections, and she offered sobering insights into the current state of the Voting Rights Act and the threats it is experiencing.

“Not only is it under threat, but it’s coming up for vote. A version of the renewed Voting Rights Act Bill has been making its way through Congress. The challenge of what the bills represent is that inside them are some detrimental consequences, as I like to call them. One aspect is how people vote and eligibility with what is called the Save Act, which is really a way to minimize the number of people that actually get their say by making it harder for people to prove where they live and that they’re eligible to vote in a particular precinct,” explained Hudgins.

She said that, ultimately, it’s detrimental to the process and creates disenfranchisement.

What is Currently Going on with Texas Redistricting in 2025?

The conversation then entered territory that is, in some ways, an extension of everything going on with the Voting Rights Act itself – Texas redistricting.

“There’s this issue that the President just talked about last week in terms of an Executive Order, calling for a new census that eliminated individuals or residents in particular areas, which is super critical because the census says that residents of a particular area are counted and voted. This particular census that the President has called for has said we’re only going to count individuals that we consider legal citizens. Well, as you know, there are a number of people who live in a particular area who are a part of that area and draw on resources there. In Texas, they’re trying to move the map to get five more seats to be more Republican leaning,” Hudgins explained.

Hudgins said that this would all be fine, but the process is a severe cause for concern, as the result could be that people end up not having a voice.

“The challenge is that the process by which they’re doing this is not in alignment with Texas statutes, and it’s certainly disenfranchising to individuals who will be impacted and affected. It will impact their representation. If maps are redrawn in a way that favors the Republican party, not only is it moving Democrats out of their seats, but it’s moving primarily African American legislators who have long represented these communities, and I believe at least one Hispanic legislator. It’s also not actually bipartisan. That’s probably one of the critical things to understand – it’s like we’ve stopped acting on what’s best for the people to act on what’s best for individual parties,” she said.

How is the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights Addressing These Issues?

Never one to sit idly by when she sees people in need of help, Hudgins went on to explain how she and the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights are tackling these issues head-on.

“The census itself is called the centennial census – that census looks at all of the residents in a particular area, counts them, and goes through extreme measures. It goes through mail, has people knocking on doors, shows up at bus stops and locations to make sure everyone is counted because that count is what determines how many votes or seats you get in Congress and, as a result determines how much or what percentage of the federal budget comes back to your state or neighborhood for support of services,” explained Hudgins.

While this has been the standard, Hudgins said a change is brewing on Capitol Hill.

“What the Executive Order has said is that we should do a census, not when we’re supposed to be doing it, which would be in about four years, I believe, but now, and we should exclude non-citizens and undocumented individuals. It takes 10 years to plan for the census and interpret the data of who’s where, where they live, who’s moved, who died, who’s been born, and how to allocate resources. So what ends up happening is you don’t get the right-sized hospitals in communities, you don’t have enough streets or paved streets, you don’t have a bus system or community transportation system that can accommodate the number of people in a community. You have overcrowding, incidents of individuals making their own ways that may not always be lawful, you have people who are suffering in the healthcare system, and you have an increase in homelessness. This is what happens when they decide to only count the kinds of people they want to count to gain a stronger partisan foothold,” she said.

However, Hudgins said that she is not going to sit by and watch all of this happen.

“We’re working to make sure as long as there is recourse and recourse, we’re going to do what we can to make representation and the 14th Amendment still be the law that it was meant to be,” she said.

Civil Rights, Immigration, and Deportations

Hudgins said that the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights is also leading the charge to address issues around immigration and current deportations.

“A year ago, if you talked about deportation, it was just an immigration issue, but now it’s more than that. It’s a civil rights issue and an attack on nonprofits. You’re looking at the issue of privacy and surveillance and how people’s information is being shared, the protections that individual organizations and corporations are supposed to be providing in terms of disclosing information. It’s become this multi-pronged issue that has so many legs we can’t even get our arms around it anymore, because you have organizations that are being impacted and challenged because they support immigrants. You have the issue of individuals who are here legally and are now being captured, kidnapped, and taken abroad because people believe they have an accent or their neighbors reported that they are there illegally, with no fair adjudication. You also have families being separated, children being left unattended, and homes being abandoned after families disappear in the middle of the night. We’re not even treating people humanely – we’re putting them in cages and sending them to third world countries where they’re being tortured,” lamented Hudgins.

Hudgins said they are taking a systematic and calculated approach to addressing these issues.

“We’re trying to figure out how to address all these different aspects because there are so many that intersect and overlap. We’re looking at the privacy and surveillance issues, the fact that anyone can wear a mask and say that they’re ICE without showing identification, and take you off the street in a white van. It really comes down to the fact that we have this huge public safety issue regarding how they’re enforcing these immigration challenges. It also gets into representation – because you’ve got all these individuals being automatically declared non-citizens, ineligible, and illegal, but they’re still in our communities who need help. They’re still contributing to the economy and living lawfully. It all comes down to making sure we are stopping the dismantling of their protections and the rewriting of the rules so individuals and independent entities can protect their civil rights,” she continued.

What Can We Do?

Hudgins said that, now more than ever, people need to use their voice.

“It can feel like there’s nothing we can do, but you can still call your representatives and show up at town hall meetings. You can still go to your regional offices and local offices and let them know your thoughts. Letters and phone calls still count. You have to name the specific issue and what you would like to see happen around a particular bill and vote. You need to hold people accountable at the local level. That means addressing your City Council and mayor, and you have to understand the issue and stay involved – don’t get frustrated and shut down,” said Hudgins.

To facilitate this, she said that you can visit the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights’ official website and take a pledge.

“The pledge is really simple. It’s a pledge to protect our rights and speak up when we see that they are under attack. It’s to attend at least one protest or community meeting and contact your member of Congress when legislation threatens basic rights. We also share information on our website so that you will stay informed as issues evolve and can act proactively and stay engaged,” she added.

Do You Want to Hear More Powerful Insights from Legal Experts Like Michelle Hudgins? Subscribe to and Download the Legal Lens Podcast!

Our discussion with Michelle Hudgins offered a powerful reminder that democracy is not a self-sustaining entity. Democracy requires maintenance through vigilance, accountability, and the courage to speak up. From the future of the Voting Rights Act to the dangers of partisan redistricting and the attempt to reshape the census, Michelle helped us see not only the threats but also the tools we have to protect our rights. Her insights cut through the noise and grounded us in both history and action, reminding us that progress has always depended on ordinary people refusing to be silent.

At a moment when our democracy faces unprecedented challenges, staying informed and engaged is more important than ever. Listen to this episode of the Legal Lens Podcast to hear Michelle’s full perspective on Simplecast or by clicking below, and subscribe to never miss a critical conversation.

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This communication is not legal advice. It is educational only. For legal advice, consult with an experienced employment law attorney in your state or city.

Michelle Hudgins on Voting Rights, Civil Rights, and More