Our show on Tuesday is devoted to the fight to restore the right to vote for the millions who find themselves caught in the crosshairs of voter suppression schemes in over 34 states. As the 3rd Anniversary of the Supreme Court’s devastating decision in Shelby v. Holder draws near, on June 23rd there will be a National Day of Action and Protest to demand that Congress fix the Voting Rights Act. The show will feature as a guest host prominent attorney and Chair of the Board of the Transformative Justice Coalition, Brenda Ford Harding. Our guests include some of the foremost leaders of the voting rights and civil rights movement including Terry O’Neill of the National Organization for Women (NOW); T.C. Muhammad of the Hip Hop Caucus; and the Honorable Ben Ptasnik of the National Election Defense Coalition. Radio Host, Barbara Arnwine, will join the show for the last segments.
Everyone is encouraged on Thursday, June 23rd, to participate in the National Day of Action and Protest which will include a press conference at the Capitol sponsored by the new Congressional Voting Rights Caucus; a national call in day to the leaders of the Congress; a Twitter Storm; and an educational webinar. Our show will discuss how you can make your voice heard.
Three years ago, on June 25, 2013, the Supreme Court of the United States issued its decision in Shelby v. Holder which eviscerated the effectiveness of Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act which had successfully blocked for decades discrimination in voting. Wrongfully reasoning that the Congress had failed to present sufficient evidence of on-going discrimination in voting by the states that had to pre-clear any proposed voting changes, in a 5-4 split decision, the Supreme Court struck down section 4b of the Act. Immediately thereafter, that very day, states started implementing voter suppression laws that had been barred by Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act. Other states which had passed laws but had not submitted them for pre-clearance also hastily implemented these laws without the protections of Section 5. Since the Supreme Court’s disastrous decision, voter suppression laws have been passed by state after state. This year, in 2016, the injurious impact of these laws have kept thousands of American citizens from voting or having their votes counted. There has been a tidal wave of voter suppression and lawsuits to challenge these laws nationwide.
Only Congress can pass legislation to repair the Voting Rights Act but for 3 years under the current majority leadership it has refused to hold hearings or vote upon proposed restoration legislation including the Voting Rights Amendment Act and the Voting Rights Advancement Act. The National Day of Action is designed to mark the 3rd Anniversary of Shelby with active Protests and Demands for a vote on the pending bills.
Our guests will share more about the planning for the National Day of Action and Protest and how our listeners can participate and engage their organizations, friends and colleagues in the four activities.
It is critical in the Election Year that every eligible voter is able to vote and have their ballot counted.
Be sure to listen to this critical show!
Be Sure to Spread the Word! This week’s guests:
Ben Ptashnik
Ben-Zion Ptashnik is a former Vermont State Senator and a life-long human rights and environmental activist. He was born in Jaffa, Israel, the son of […]
Brenda Harding
5 commentsBrenda Ford Harding is an attorney and consultant in Durham, N.C. She works extensively in the voting rights area, specifically using different strategies to ensure […]
Terry O’Neill
Terry O’Neill, a feminist attorney, professor and activist for social justice, was elected president of NOW in June 2009. She is also president of the […]
Past Show – June 14, 2016
Jun 14, 2016
