Americans overwhelmingly desire racial reconciliation in our country. As Christians, we can help reach that goal by reminding ourselves and others that skin color is the least important characteristic of human beings. We are all made in the image of God. Our heart and soul are what matters. Our character, not our race, should define us.
Sadly, many powerful forces exploit racial division in America for their own political gain. There have been two developments in recent weeks that prove my assertion.
The first was the unexpected indictment of the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) on eleven charges of wire fraud, perjury, and conspiracy.
The SPLC was founded fifty-five years ago to fight the Ku Klux Klan (KKK) and advance the cause of civil rights. But as time passed, it strayed from that mission. The SPLC was also embroiled in multiple scandals over management practices and finances. Eventually, the organization evolved into a leftist smear machine.
We now know that the SPLC was a massive left-wing scam. “The SPLC is manufacturing racism to justify its existence,”1 Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said when announcing the indictments.The SPLC, which claims to track hate groups, funneled millions of dollars over the past twelve years to various hate groups, including the KKK and neo-Nazis. It tried to cover up these payments by running them through the bank accounts of shell companies or fake entities.
When Presidents Obama and Biden occupied the White House, they used the SPLC’s so-called “research” to attack mainstream conservative and Christian groups, including the Alliance Defending Freedom, the Family Research Council (which I led for ten years), Moms for Liberty, Turning Point USA, and others. Dr. Dobson and I have been repeatedly attacked by the SPLC.
The upcoming trial of the group and its leaders will be revealing.
The second controversy within weeks revolves around the drawing of congressional district lines.
I want to give you a simple quiz: If you are a White American, do you believe you can only be effectively, fully, and legitimately represented in Congress by a White congressman? If you answered yes, you are embracing racism.
Now, here’s a test for Black Americans: Do you believe you can only be effectively, fully, and legitimately represented by a Black congressman? If you answered yes, you, too, are embracing racism.
Before someone reacts in outrage, let me quote who first taught me this point. The Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. wrote in his book, Where Do We Go From Here: Chaos or Community, “Let us be dissatisfied until that day when nobody will shout, ‘White Power!’ when nobody will shout, ‘Black Power!’ but everybody will talk about God’s power and human power.”2
Dr. King’s point reflects both American principles and biblical teachings. He wanted race to recede in importance, and he wanted character and morality to increase in importance.
The history of voting rights in America has been a story of greater participation. The Fifteenth Amendment to the Constitution was ratified in 1870 and extended the right to vote to men of all races. There were still hurdles to voting in some state constitutions and laws, particularly in the South. The white supremacist wing of the Democrat Party dominated the Southern states, and they implemented poll taxes, literacy tests, and, even worse, intimidation and fraud to discourage Black voting.
Congressional districts were drawn in the South based on race so that only White candidates could win. That was wrong and unacceptable. That practice was ended by the Voting Rights Act of 1965. Unfortunately, the reforms in that law were distorted over the years so that eventually congressional districts were created that only Black candidates could win.
The Supreme Court, on April 29, 2026, by a six-to-three vote, ruled that any congressional district whose boundaries were drawn with the intention of creating a district that only a candidate of a specific race could win was, on its face, a violation of our Constitution. It is wrong if the intent is only to elect Whites, and it is wrong if the intent is only to elect Blacks.
Predictably, much of the left-wing media intentionally misrepresented the meaning of the Supreme Court’s decision. Prominent Democrat leaders also promoted distortions. They claimed that Black voting rights were being taken away.
House Democrat Leader Hakeem Jeffries said, “Instead of protecting the ability for American citizens to freely cast their ballot, Republican extremists have embraced voter suppression and racial gerrymandering to desperately cling to power. The corrupt conservative majority on the Supreme Court appointed by Donald Trump has taken a blowtorch to the Voting Rights Act.”3
These are intentional lies meant to divide America further by race. No one’s right to vote is being taken away. Those using this rhetoric are destabilizing our constitutional republic and creating an atmosphere that could cause further violence in our political discourse.
JDFI calls on them to end this demagoguery immediately. We ask all Americans of goodwill to pray that God would heal our land. We pray for all Americans to reject racism and focus on the content of our character, not the color of our skin.
- Todd Blanche, “SPLC scandal underscores demand for racism outstrips supply,” interview by Bobby Burack, OutKick, accessed May 11, 2026, https://www.outkick.com/analysis/splc-scandal-underscores-demand-racism-outstrips-supply-bobby-burack.
- Martin Luther King Jr., Where Do We Go from Here: Chaos or Community? (Boston: Beacon Press, 1967).
- Jeffries, Hakeem. “Leader Jeffries Statement on Supreme Court Decision Eviscerating the Voting Rights Act.” Congressman Hakeem Jeffries, April 29, 2026. https://jeffries.house.gov/2026/04/29/leader-jeffries-statement-on-supreme-court-decision-eviscerating-the-voting-rights-act/.
