Civil Rights Groups Call on Senate to Take Immediate Action on Voting Rights

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Kiren Marshall, The Management Convention on Civil and Human Rights, [email protected]
Angelo Greco, The Nationwide Coalition on Black Civic Participation/Black Ladies’s Roundtable, 917-499-2688, [email protected]
Lacy Crawford, Attorneys’ Committee for Civil Rights Underneath Regulation, 202-558-7900, [email protected]
NAACP Authorized Protection and Instructional Fund, Inc.(LDF), 212-965-2200, [email protected]
Marc Banks, NAACP, 443-608-4073, [email protected]
Tkeban X.T. Jahannes, Nationwide Council of Negro Ladies, 404-944-1615, [email protected]
Niambé Tomlinson, Nationwide City League, 202-629-5750, [email protected]
Rachel Noerdlinger, Nationwide Motion Community, [email protected]

WASHINGTON — Main civil rights organizations launched the next joint assertion urging senators to be on the fitting aspect of historical past and go the Freedom to Vote: John R. Lewis Act:

“Historical past will choose senators for what they do to guard voting rights, not arcane guidelines. The Freedom to Vote: John R. Lewis Act will be certain that voters throughout the nation can safely and freely solid their ballots. Each senator who chooses obstruction over defending our freedom to vote is contributing to the autumn of our democracy. Their legacies and our legacy as a rustic are on the road. Senators are elected to vote, not cover behind procedural guidelines whereas our voting rights are beneath assault. Sham excuses are unacceptable.

“The fitting to vote is our most elementary proper and is the fitting upon which all our different rights relaxation. Folks have died to realize and defend this treasured proper. Democracy can’t exist with out all of our participation. We can’t tolerate limitations to voting for individuals of colour, veterans, individuals with disabilities, rural voters, new People, senior residents, or younger individuals. We can’t tolerate efforts to take away native election officers or harass them to forestall them from counting each vote. As an alternative, we should transfer ahead and defend the voice and vote of each American.

“We’re particularly disillusioned in senators of each events who’ve supported amending the Senate guidelines for financial issues, however are unwilling to take action for essentially the most important matter going through our nation: the safety of the fitting to vote. These senators are both misguided or disingenuous of their motivations. We’re additionally disillusioned in senators who’ve supported voting rights laws previously, however who refuse to take action now out of worry of political retribution from cynical get together management. Historical past will choose them for it, because it has judged others who’ve sat idly by as civil rights have been abridged. They are going to be seen with as a lot disdain as those that have actively sought to abridge civil rights. Within the custom of these civil rights giants who fought for voting rights earlier than us, we ask these senators: ‘which aspect are you on, senator, which aspect are you on?’

“As we method Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, we is not going to settle for empty guarantees in pursuit of Dr. King’s dream for a extra equal and simply America. Our leaders have a historic alternative to revive and defend Dr. King’s legacy by passing the Freedom to Vote: John R. Lewis Act.

“The Senate should act by any means essential to go the Freedom to Vote: John R. Lewis Act so that each vote counts and all of us have a say in our future. This laws addresses a few of the  main issues going through our democracy by restoring the ability of the Voting Rights Act, setting nationwide requirements to guard entry to the vote, ending partisan gerrymandering of congressional districts, starting to overtake our damaged marketing campaign finance system, and creating new safeguards towards subversion of the electoral course of. The filibuster should not be a barrier to defending our freedom to vote.

“The present efforts to advance this necessary laws will lastly permit for an open and public debate. We shall be watching the controversy carefully. We encourage all to observe carefully and be aware the place every senator, no matter get together, stands on preserving democracy and defending the basic proper to vote.”

This assertion was signed by the next organizations:

• Nationwide Coalition on Black Civic Participation/Black Ladies’s Roundtable President and CEO Melanie Campbell
• The Management Convention on Civil and Human Rights Interim President and CEO Wade Henderson
• Attorneys’ Committee for Civil Rights Underneath Regulation President and Govt Director Damon Hewitt
• NAACP Authorized Protection and Instructional Fund, Inc. (LDF) President and Director-Counsel Sherrilyn Ifill
• NAACP President and CEO Derrick Johnson
• Nationwide Council of Negro Ladies Govt Director Janice L. Mathis
• Nationwide City League President and CEO Marc H. Morial
• Nationwide Motion Community President and Founder Reverend Al Sharpton

The Nationwide Coalition on Black Civic Participation (NCBCP) is likely one of the most lively civil rights and social justice organizations within the nation “devoted to growing civic engagement, financial and voter empowerment in Black America.” The Black Ladies’s Roundtable (BWR) is the ladies and women’ empowerment and energy constructing arm of the NCBCP. On the forefront of championing simply and equitable public coverage on behalf of Black ladies, BWR promotes their well being and wellness, financial safety & prosperity, schooling and world empowerment as key parts for achievement.

The Management Convention on Civil and Human Rights is a coalition charged by its numerous membership of greater than 230 nationwide organizations to advertise and defend the rights of all individuals in the USA. The Management Convention works towards an America pretty much as good as its beliefs. For extra info on The Management Convention and its member organizations, go to www.civilrights.org.

Attorneys’ Committee for Civil Rights Underneath Regulation – The Attorneys’ Committee for Civil Rights Underneath Regulation (Attorneys’ Committee), a nonpartisan, nonprofit group, was fashioned in 1963 on the request of President John F. Kennedy to contain the personal bar in offering authorized companies to handle racial discrimination. The principal mission of the Attorneys’ Committee for Civil Rights Underneath Regulation is to safe, via the rule of legislation, equal justice for all, significantly within the areas of voting rights, felony justice, truthful housing and group improvement, financial justice, academic alternatives, and hate crimes. For extra info, please go to https://lawyerscommittee.org.

Based in 1940, the NAACP Authorized Protection and Instructional Fund, Inc. (LDF) is the nation’s first civil and human rights legislation group. LDF has been fully separate from the Nationwide Affiliation for the Development of Coloured Folks (NAACP) since 1957—though LDF was initially based by the NAACP and shares its dedication to equal rights. LDF’s Thurgood Marshall Institute is a multi-disciplinary and collaborative hub inside LDF that launches focused campaigns and undertakes modern analysis to form the civil rights narrative. In media attributions, please confer with us because the NAACP Authorized Protection Fund or LDF. Comply with LDF on Twitter, Instagram and Fb.

Based in 1909 in response to the continuing violence towards Black individuals across the nation, the NAACP is the most important and most pre-eminent civil rights group within the nation. We’ve over 2,200 items and branches throughout the nation, together with effectively over 2M activists. Our mission is to safe the political, academic, social, and financial equality of rights with a view to remove race-based discrimination and make sure the well being and well-being of all individuals. In media attributions, please confer with us because the NAACP.

National Council of Negro Women is a Washington, D.C.-based charitable group making a distinction within the lives of ladies, kids, and households via a four-pronged technique that emphasizes entrepreneurship, well being fairness, STEAM schooling, and social justice. Based 86 years in the past, NCNW has 330 group and campus-based sections and thirty-two nationwide associates representing greater than two million men and women. NCNW’s applications are grounded on a basis of important issues referred to as 4 for the Future. NCNW is understood for GoodHealthWINs that gives trusted well being care info, for producing the Black Household Reunion and the HBCU School Truthful.   For extra info please go to www.ncnw.org or NCNW’s social channels by way of Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, or LinkedIn.

The Nationwide City League is a historic civil rights group devoted to financial empowerment with a view to elevate the usual of residing in traditionally underserved city communities. The Nationwide City League spearheads the efforts of its 91 native associates via the event of applications, public coverage analysis and advocacy, offering direct companies that affect and enhance the lives of greater than 2 million individuals yearly nationwide. Go to www.nul.org and comply with us on Twitter and Instagram: @NatUrbanLeague and @NULPolicy.

Nationwide Motion Community (NAN) is likely one of the main civil rights organizations within the Nation, with chapters all through your entire United States. Based in 1991 by Reverend Al Sharpton, NAN works inside the spirit and custom of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. to advertise a contemporary civil rights plan that features the struggle for one commonplace of justice, decency and equal alternatives for all individuals no matter race, faith, nationality or gender.

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