A woman born during segregation is unable to get a Real ID because she doesn’t have a document. Jessie Lovette, who was born in rural Georgia in the 1940s, now feels like she is “nobody” in the eyes of the government. The Real ID requirement will come into effect on May 7. This policy mandates that every American traveler must have a Real ID-compliant driver’s license or an approved alternative for flying domestic flights.
Lovette, who has been living in Florida for a long time, has a Social Security number and decades of official identification history. However, she was never issued a birth certificate and, therefore, can no longer obtain a valid Florida ID, as the requirements strictly prohibit it.
Speaking with CBS News Miami, the 76-year-old woman said, “It’s like I’m nobody. That’s how I feel. I was embarrassed to tell my children.” During the Jim Crow era, she was born in Marion County, Georgia. Since a midwife assisted her birth, it was never recorded officially.
Although in the past, Lovette didn’t face any issue in getting government IDs, the lack of documentation is now posing a real challenge for her. “The midwives couldn’t read or write. But they knew how to deliver the babies,” she commented.
“I used to go over there by the stadium. They didn’t ask for a birth certificate or anything. You just tell them your age and where you were born, and they give you an ID,” Jessie told CBS News Miami. The new requirement is now making her expired 2020 ID impossible to renew.
Lovette and her family have been fighting a long battle to obtain a delayed birth certificate from Georgia. However, their request was denied even after she had submitted extensive documentation, like her marriage license, which lists Georgia as her birthplace.
“In July, it’ll be five years,” said Derrick, Lovette’s son. “It’s been hard for my mom because I’d do anything for her.” Her daughter, Pamala Llyod, added, “We’ve turned around with so many doctors. Once they run that ID, it’s like, ‘Sorry, Ms. Lovette, we can’t see you based on the expiration.'”
Llyod added that her mom’s expired ID also created difficulties for routine checkups. “You never know if you’re gonna get pulled over. It’s gonna be a situation with her not having her ID,” she said.
However, the family is still hopeful about the delayed birth certificate request, as they have a new hearing scheduled this June.
After the issue was raised, federal agencies informed CBS News Miami that Lovette’s case would be renewed. Until then, she has continued to face challenges accessing healthcare and other government services to which she is entitled.
Lovette is not alone. As the Real ID Act begins full enforcement in the United States, many older Americans, in particular Black women born during the segregation, continue to face challenges.
Last month, it was reported that Janette Gantt Palmer, another South Florida resident, is also struggling to obtain a valid ID due to a lack of birth records from South Carolina.
