DemDaily: In The Name of John Lewis. The Act and The March
August 27, 2021
On Tuesday, the US House of Representatives passed H.R.4, the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act, named after the late civil rights icon and Georgia Congressman.
The bill, passed along party lines, would restore and strengthen parts of the 1965 Voting Rights Act, parts of which were struck down by the US Supreme Court in 2013 in Shelby County v. Holder, and in July of this year in Brnovich v. Democratic National Committee.
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Most significantly, the Act would restore the Voting Rights Act's requirement that certain jurisdictions with a history of racial discrimination in voting receive approval, known as preclearance, from the Justice Department before making changes to their voting rules.
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The bill, however, faces stiff opposition from the GOP in the evenly divided US Senate, where at least 10 Republicans would need to vote for the Act to break the filibuster and achieve passage.
Civil Rights icon John Lewis (Ignitenational)
In truth, we are facing what President Joseph Biden has called, "the most significant test of our democracy since the Civil War," as a wave of over 400 voter suppression measures introduced by Republicans in 49 states this year alone.
The only alternative is to turn to Congress for legislative relief, which is why, this weekend, we must march.
This Saturday, on the 58th anniversary of Dr. Martin Luther King's historic March on Washington, voters and activists will descend on Washington, DC and other major cities to shine a light on what is happening in state legislatures nationwide.
Their mission, our mission, is to demand that elected officials protect democracy through the passage of comprehensive federal legislation, including the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act and the For The People Act, which passed the US House in March but has been blocked in the US Senate.
March On For Voting Rights will take place in Washington, DC, Atlanta, Miami, Houston, Phoenix and in 75 locations across the country.
Find a March in your City or Town
Washington, DC March
When: August 28th, Saturday
Where: McPhearson Square Park
15th and H Streets, NW, Washington, DC
Time: 8:00am: Gathering at The Park
& Route: 9:45am: Kick Off: McPherson Square and Black Lives Matter
Plaza, past the White House and Washington Monument
11:30am - 3:00pm: Closing Rally entering at 12th Street and Madison Drive, gathering from 7th Street to 14th Street between Jefferson Drive and Madison Drive
Click here for all you need to know about the DC March!
Actions
Contact Your US Senator and demand they take action on For The People Act, the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act, and the Washington, DC Admission Act.
Social Media: #VotingRightsMarch #ForThePeopleAct #JohnLewisVotingRightsAct #GoodTrouble #VotingRights #HR1 #HR4 HR51 #VoterSuppression #ProtectDemocracy
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