Jim Crow Survivor: A Black Woman's Struggle for Real ID Access

A woman of African descent, born amidst the Jim Crow Era, reports her struggle to renew her driver’s license. Janette Gantt Palmer, 76, a former postal worker from Miami, lacks an official birth certificate, a frequent issue for Black Americans of that generation. The recent enforcement of the Real ID Act, which mandates verified identity documents, has intensified her challenges. Gantt Palmer is pursuing a delayed birth certificate while U.S. Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart’s office seeks solutions ahead of her license expiration.