The filibuster is a mechanism by which the minority party can block legislation from advancing in the Senate. It is not required by the Constitution, and is an undemocratic process that empowers the minority party to block the will of voters. Historically, the filibuster has been used to block landmark civil rights legislation such as the 1957 and 1964 Civil Rights Acts as well as gun violence legislation and the 2010 Dream Act.
As it stands, the current Republican minority intends to use the filibuster to block all progressive legislation. It is a relic of the Jim Crow era, and can be eliminated by a simple majority vote in the Senate.
Once the filibuster is eliminated, congress can break free from the gridlock currently in place and fully enact the will of their constituencies to pass democracy reforms that benefit the American people.