“Citizenship means standing up for everyone’s right to vote,” said President Barack Obama at his State of the Union Address last week. This important message is just as true today as it was in 1965, when the Voting Rights Act was signed into law. Unfortunately, the U.S. Supreme Court reignited the struggle to protect the right to vote last year when it gutted a key provision of the landmark law. As we celebrate Black History Month, let us remember the figures who fought for equal access to the ballot and join the fight today to protect and strengthen democracy.
“This act flows from a clear and simple wrong,” said Lyndon B. Johnson when he signed the VRA into law nearly 50 years ago. “Its only purpose is to right that wrong. Millions of Americans are denied the right to vote because of their color. This law will ensure them the right to vote. The wrong is one which no American, in his heart, can justify. The right is one which no American, true to our principles, can deny.”
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.—who famously championed voting rights for all Americans—said the law was “a great step forward in removing all of the remaining obstacles to the right to vote.” Dr. King’s comment hinted that there was more work to be done: since the turn of the century, we have seen partisans pass laws to suppress voter participation and our Supreme Court deconstruct one of our nation’s greatest voting rights achievements.
“I am not going to stand by and let the Supreme Court take the right to vote away from us,” said civil rights hero Rep. John Lewis, following on the Court’s 2013 decision. “The vote is precious…It is the most powerful, nonviolent tool we can use in a democratic society and we’ve got to use it.”
Last month, Lewis and a bipartisan group of Congress members took another step forward in protecting the right to vote. They introduced legislation to update the Voting Rights Act, offering a hopeful fix to the people who have their fundamental right to vote denied. Further, the president’s bipartisan commission has issued a report of recommendations to address voting issues.
“Let’s support these efforts,” said President Obama in his State of the Union address. “It should be the power of our vote, not the size of our bank account, that drives our democracy.”
We believe democracy works best when every eligible American participates. Join us in celebrating Black History Month by joining the fight to protect the right to vote for all Americans. Register to vote today and raise awareness of the state of voting rights by sharing this post with family and friends.
Photo by Yoichi R. Okamoto via from Wikimedia Commons.