The vote is the most powerful tool we have in a democracy! The Late Congressman John Lewis and others shed their blood crossing the Edmund Pettus Bridge in the fight for Black voter’s rights to participate in the electoral process in this country. Their sacrifice, tenacity, and acts of bravery culminated in the enactment of the 1965 Voting Rights Act.
Once again, we are in the battle for voting freedoms and to save democracy. Shortly after the record-breaking voter turnout in the Presidential election and the powerful Black, Brown, and Youth voter turnout in the Georgia Runoff, state legislatures in 47 states released an offensive onslaught of 370 proposed bills with the intent to disenfranchise and suppress the vote of communities of color, elderly and disabled voters, and young voters. St. Louis voting rights and racial justice supporters have partnered with national leaders and cities across the country to host the National John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Action Day on Saturday, May 8, 2021 in St. Louis.
The John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Action Day will coincide at the same time with more than 97 cities across the country. The purpose of the event is to strengthen and improve the effectiveness of democracy by supporting the For the People Act (S1), The John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act (HR4), D.C. statehood, and eliminating the filibuster as a barrier to preserving voting rights. These Acts create a pathway to voting for everyone and protections against current law designed to suppress the vote in targeted communities.
The scheduled events include a virtual National Broadcast (12:00 PM CST), followed by a local press conference and rally (1:00 PM CST) and a Votercade Parade (2:00 PM CST). The Action Day concludes with the Celebration Village (3:00 PM CST) where voting rights advocates will conduct teach-ins and lead advocacy actions to help participants contact their federal delegation.Â
For additional information at the local level, contact Gena Gunn McClendon at ggunn@wustl.edu.Â