For Immediate Release

HEATHER MCGHEE TO CO-CHAIR TAKE BACK THE COURT ADVISORY BOARD, ANNA GALLAND JOINS ADVISORY BOARD

Major players joining the fight to add seats to the Supreme Court

SAN FRANCISCO, CA (May 6, 2021) — With the urgency and momentum for court expansion at an all time high, Take Back the Court today announced that Heather McGhee will Co-Chair Take Back the Court’s Advisory Board. Anna Galland will also be joining the Advisory Board.

“Heather McGhee and Anna Galland are major power players with deep experience in public policy, economics and equity and have a bold vision for how we advance progress in our institutions and society — all key to Take Back the Court’s efforts to pass the Judiciary Act and add four seats to the Supreme Court,” said Take Back the Court Director Aaron Belkin.

“Saving our democracy from the clutches of systemic inequality is more important now than it ever has been,” said McGhee. “It's increasingly clear the only way to restore our nation’s broken system of checks and balances is to add seats to the Supreme Court. I’m honored to serve as co-Chair of Take Back the Court and couldn’t be more excited to join an organization that’s helping to pave the way for the reforms needed to support a multiracial democracy."

Take Back the Court was the first organization in the U.S. to call for Court expansion in 2018, and laid the groundwork for the recent tremendous momentum for the idea through a two-year education and awareness campaign. Now, in this next phase, Take Back the Court will continue to increase awareness. Passing the Judiciary Act is critical to restoring the public’s faith in our judiciary, reversing the damage done by conservatives under the Trump Administration and shielding policies that advance equity and justice from being struck down by a slanted Supreme Court.

“The success of this campaign to expand the Supreme Court affects the very fabric of democracy itself. Take Back the Court is punching above its weight and doing remarkable work in moving the Overton window on the need for swift court expansion,” Galland said. “I greatly admire what the organization has already achieved — and the spirit and skill with which it’s been executed — and it’s a privilege and an honor to have the opportunity to work with Take Back the Court.”

McGhee currently serves as Chair of the Color of Change Board of Directors and recently released her first book, “The Sum of Us: What Racism Costs Everyone and How We Can Prosper Together”. She is a frequent contributor to NBC News and her writings can be found across a number of nationally-recognized news publications including The Washington Post, the Wall Street Journal, and NPR. McGhee holds a B.A. in American Studies from Yale University and earned her J.D. from the University of California at Berkeley School of Law.

Galland is an innovative organizer and political strategist with extensive experience defending progressive policies and championing growth and development, most recently at MoveOn Civic Action where she served as Executive Director until 2019. She has been published in The New York Times, Huffington Post, and other national publications, and has appeared on CNN, C-SPAN, and MSNBC. Galland holds a B.A. in History from Brown University.

Take Back the Court raises awareness about the urgent need to expand the number of seats on the Supreme Court to address the theft of the court by Senator Mitch McConnell during the Obama Administration. Without adding seats, Congress will not be able to restore the right to vote, ensure reproductive freedom, protect workers, halt our climate emergency, or pass new legislation. Court expansion, which can be accomplished without a constitutional amendment, is the only reform that enables the un-rigging of the system and the restoration of democracy. Learn more at https://www.takebackthecourt.today.