Reverend Dr. Cassandra Gould is a native of Demopolis, Ala. She is an ordained elder in the African Methodist Episcopal Church. For the last seven years she has served as the senior pastor of Quinn Chapel A.M.E. Church, the oldest entity in Jefferson City, Mo., to be started by people of color. She also serves as the Executive Director of Missouri Faith Voices, a PICO federation. She can be found on the front lines fighting for justice from Ferguson to the White House, in her pulpit and in the public square fighting for the rights of "the least of these." She is a sought after prophetic voice. Among the many issues that she stands on the line to fight against is voter suppression. She was born in the midst of the civil rights era and is the daughter of an activist who fought for voters' rights in Selma. She believes she inherited a prophetic mantle that demands her role in the fight against injustice. Currently she is the spokesperson for the Campaign in Missouri to defeat an oppressive voter ID law, Amendment 6. In addition she is the Faith Co-Chair for Missouri State Jobs With Justice Board and the Religious Affairs Director for the State NAACP Conference.
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A Parable for Voter Protection This Election Year
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As a pastor in a historically black church, Quinn Chapel A.M.E. Church in Jefferson City, and the Executive Director of Missouri Faith Voices, a PICO federation, I say this attempt to silence and disenfranchise voters is contrary to the gospel of Jesus Christ. When I interpret Matthew 25, it is not merely about providing food, clothes, and hospitality — it is about transforming systems that have caused people to be left out.