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60th Anniversary – Voting Rights National Teletown Hall
60th Anniversary – Voting Rights Act of 1965
Join us for a National Teletown Hall meeting! This year marks the 60th Anniversary of the Voting Rights Act of 1965. This is your choice to hear directly from a panel of experts discussing the vital importance of voting rights from the comfort of your own home.
Watch live stream via YouTube or Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/TJC.DC/
https://www.youtube.com/@thetransformativejusticeco6890
On August 6, we mark 60 years since the Voting Rights Act (VRA) was signed into law. Widely considered the crown jewel of the civil rights movement and the most potentially impactful civil rights law, the VRA continues to reflect the promise of an inclusive, multiracial democracy that works for all, regardless of race, background or zipcode.
Just last week, the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act (John Lewis VRAA) was reintroduced in the U.S. Senate. This bill is urgently needed to restore and strengthen the core protections of the original VRA which have been gutted by the Supreme Court and lower courts in n recent years. Since those decisions, states have passed a wave of anti-voter laws targeting Black, Latino, Indigenous, Asian American, and low-income communities. The result has been closed polling places, purged voter rolls, burdensome ID laws, proof of citizenship requirements, and deliberate disempowerment of voters of color.
This anniversary is a call to action. Passing the John Lewis VRAA is the most powerful way Congress can honor the legacy of the VRA and ensure our democracy includes us all.
Please join us for a social media storm lifting up the anniversary and our call to action on Wednesday, August 6 at 1 pm ET.
Message Guidance:
- For democracy to work for all of us, it must include us all. Our freedom to vote is our most sacred and fundamental right. It is the right upon which all our other rights and freedoms rest and allows us to determine the future of our communities and families, ensuring opportunities for all.
- Opposing our freedom to vote is a direct attack on our communities’ well-being and another obstacle to achieving a democracy that works for everyone. In every corner of the country, policymakers have created barriers that make it harder for voters to cast a ballot, such as closing polling places in Black and low-income communities and making polling places inaccessible for voters with disabilities.
- Since the 2013 Supreme Court decision in Shelby County v. Holder, the Voting Rights Act’s ability to protect against voting discrimination has been severely weakened. The impact of this decision has fallen hardest on people of color and low-income communities, making it more difficult for them to cast their ballots.
- We must hold the policymakers and anti-freedom actors who are creating deliberate barriers to the ballot accountable, and ensure a multiracial democracy that works for all. That is how we will protect our rights, including our freedom to choose when and where to have a family, join together in a union, and access the opportunities we deserve in order to succeed.
- We urge Congress to pass the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act, the Freedom to Vote Act, the Native American Voting Rights Act, and DC Statehood. This is how we ensure we have the freedom to shape our lives and futures.
Hashtags:
#RestoreTheVRA
#VRAat60
Sample Posts:
60 years ago, the Voting Rights Act changed history. We’re still fighting to protect that legacy. Join us to demand Congress pass the John Lewis VRAA and secure our democracy: https://civilrights.quorum.us/campaign/110164/
The VRA was a promise of freedom. The John Lewis VRAA is how we keep that promise today. On the 60th anniversary of the Voting Rights Act, tell Congress: protect our freedom to vote. https://civilrights.quorum.us/campaign/110164/
If our votes didn’t matter, they wouldn’t be trying so hard to take them away. Join us in fighting back. Sign on to demand Congress restore the Voting Rights Act by passing the John Lewis VRAA: https://civilrights.quorum.us/campaign/110164/
The 60th anniversary of the Voting Rights Act isn’t just about honoring the past. It’s about protecting our future. Join us and demand Congress pass the John Lewis VRAA now: https://civilrights.quorum.us/campaign/110164/
Some politicians are doing everything they can to silence our voices because they fear our power. The John Lewis VRAA is how we fight back. Join us: https://civilrights.quorum.us/campaign/110164/
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