The Voting Rights Act's 40th Anniversary
Posted by Josh McConaha on August 1, 2005 at 04:21 PM
Editor's Note: This Saturday is the 40th anniversary of the Voting Rights Act. All week we'll be commemorating the importance of this piece of legislation with a wide array of material here on Democrats.org - including guest posts from people who have been directly affected by the Act. Today we kick it all off with Rev. Jesse Jackson, who is hosting a commemorative march in Atlanta this Saturday. For more information on the march, please click here. We'll also have an easily accessible resource center available this week at http://www.democrats.org/VRA40th so you can keep up with the week's activities.
Also, be sure to keep the DNC's Voting Rights Institute's report on the 2004 election in Ohio in mind as you read the posts all week.
Forty years ago, after the bloody march in Selma, Congress passed and President Johnson signed the historic 1965 Voting Rights Act striking down centuries of voter discrimination against Blacks and people of color. But today, along with attacks on civil rights, labor, and religion for the poor comes a devious attempt to undermine or eliminate the Voting Rights Act.
It's time to go back to the streets – to organize "bottom-up" to protect and defend hard won victories of the last 40, even 80 years. So we will are organizing a national March and Rally August 6, 2005, in Atlanta, Georgia. A rally to fight for the Reauthorization of the Voting Rights Act. A rally to fight for worker's right to organize. A rally to stop the war in Iraq. A new coalition of conscience ready to fight back for peace, justice and equality, building a New Democracy Movement in America this summer. At the heart of the agenda is the right to vote, which precedes, preserves and protects all other rights. We on August 6 we fight to preserve, protect and if necessary expand the provisions of the Voting Rights Act, set to expire in 2007 unless reauthorized by the Congress.
In the 40 years since the Voting Rights Act was passed, African Americans in public office have soared from three members of Congress to 43 today. There are 21 members of the Hispanic Congressional Caucus. Asian Americans and Native Americans historically shut out of the political process have also moved toward full political participation and empowerment. All of this is threatened unless the Voting Rights Act is reauthorized, with its enforcement provisions.
Section 5 contains the "pre-clearance" provisions of the VOTING RIGHTS ACT – requiring jurisdictions in all or part of 16 states to prove to the Department of Justice that a voting change (eg, redistricting, annexation, at-large elections, re-registration requirements, polling place changes, and new rules for candidate qualifying) does NOT have a discriminatory purpose of effect on minority voters. Section 203 requires more than 450 counties and townships to provide bilingual language assistance to limited English speaking voters. Section 6-9 authorizes the Department of Justice to appoint examiners and send observers to the polls to deter, witness or report discriminatory activities. The original 1965 Voting Rights Act made these provisions TEMPORARY, subject to reauthorization by Congress based on evidence that the NEED for these provisions continues to exist, that remedies are "narrowly tailored" and "proportionate" to the harms it seeks to cure.
But now some Republican leaders are suggesting that the law be made "national and permanent." That sounds good. But beware. By proposing to make the VOTING RIGHTS ACT "national and permanent," the Congress would set up the VOTING RIGHTS ACT for being ruled unconstitutional by the Supreme Court.
We will march for workers' right to organize, to reinvest in America and put America back to work. Most states still suffer from a loss of jobs in the last 4 years, 50 million American are without health care insurance. Companies outsource jobs and offshore businesses to avoid paying taxes, exporting jobs and capital, while importing cheap labor and products. This administration ignores the PRESENT danger in Medicare funding, but cries wolf about Social Security. Over 1/3 of the government programs that the Bush administration plans to cut are in education. His economic philosophy seems to be "no ceiling for the wealthiest, no floor for the poor."
And to deepen the pain, this administration spends $6 billion per month to continue the war and occupation in Iraq, a war of choice we simply can no longer afford. The Downey Street memo has exposed the lies and deception behind the invasion in Iraq. It's time to end the war and bring the troops home now.
So join us in Atlanta,Georgia, Saturday, August 6, the 40th anniversary of LBJ's signing of the Voting Rights Act in 1965. We will not turn back. We will fight take our fight to the streets. We will be taking the fight back to the South for the right to vote. For the right of workers to organize. For the right to education and health care. For peace in Iraq. See us at http://www.rainbowpush.org/ for march and event information.
--Rev. Jesse Jackson
Comments (13) «
BREAKING....BREAKING....BREAKING
Al Gore's Channel "Current TV" has premiered. If you have Direc TV it is on channel 366. I am not sure what channel it is on cable. It is also avaible on the web. I am not sure what the website it BUT you can google Current or Curren and Gore and that might bring you to the station on line. PLEASE WATCH IT. WE NEED TO KEEP THE STATION GOING.
Voter suppression in Florida and Ohio was real in the last few elections. Where is there voting rights when people have to wait eight hours to vote or be turned away from polling places by police baricades?
The Republicans now think they can talk about voter suppression as a campaign strategy with no repurcussions. It is touted by Republican politicans in the North as well as the South. Why is that?
I believe the Rainbow Coalition is fighting an organized racial discrimination movement not seen since the KKK...and fully backed and funded by the Republican party. Time to call it what it is.
vana, I'm watching Horizons on Current right now. Thanks for the heads up. Interesting short pieces about young people's lives and dreams. Hope it fosters a lot of creativity.
Right now talking about personal security....via Paris Hilton's outed address book and Team Mobile. Reporter's phone number showed up on the internet and decided to leave it there so he could talk to new people.
Different stokes.
I was old enought to remember the signing of the Voting Rights Act and though I didn't know the entire dynamics of that signing, I could sense it was something dramatic.
Many, many people lost their jobs, homes and indeed their very lives fighting for the chance to do what was already a right as a citizen. But then one as an African-American at that time in this country was fighting to be acknowledged as just that: a citizen, a man or woman, a human being. Those were not easy or rational times, but blacks came through and with a Civil Rights legislation and the Voting Rights Act.
And this is why the Florida 2000 election ripoff is so heartfelt. Lives were lost for the right to vote and so many were denied that right or had their vote thrown out or for a better term: disenfranchised by the act of one person who valued party loyalty over the legality of the election and it's votes.
J, disenfranchise is good word to explain what is happening. The Bill of Rights is being thrown out the window, and citizens now live in two Americas...those that have the money to buy influence and those that don't. No wonder the terrorists decided to blow up the World Trade Center instead of the Statue of Liberty....they already knew it didn't stand for anything anymore.
That's the color that causes the most governmental discrimination these days; green.
To All,
You guys have to check out this website
://survey.pollingpoint.com/3929917
If you criticize Bush it won't allow you to continue the survey. If you pledge undying love for Bush, it will allow you to complete the survey. For the first time in life, I feel sorry for repugnants. Their desperation has no shame! So much for the "Moral" Majority.
Let me know what you think of the website.
How can we even think that these rights could be taken. How can Republicans stand by this government. It is simple and it is shameful!
What the f--- are you thinking. People this government is EVIL! I am a white female with a heart and I have to ask,where is Laura Bush? She must have her head in the sand, be ignorant, or drugged. How could she not have some input into what her husband has done? Where is her humanity, where is her eductation? So many issues, CAFTA, Bolton, the voting act,Plame, Downing Street, Sudan. Where is her voice? How can she be proud to be his wife? I simply question? It is time to stand up and take back this country. One thing that has bothered me when Bush speaks about the war on terror, he always refers back to America and how we are effected. IT REALLY IS ABOUT THE WORLD AND HOW ALL OF US WILL BE EFFECTED!!We all must get this concept!
Laura Bush? She is not ignorant nor does she have her head in the sand. She knows exactly what she is doing. NOTHING! Just like the manipulating mother in law she gets her lessons from. Sit back, act like the sweet Texas princess and do nothing. Blame tunnel vison, ignorant, average Joe Americans who don't care about anything but what's going on their back yards until it effects their wallets. Or until it effects them like it did Cleveland this week when they had a funeral for several Marines at the same time who died in Iraq. Sad to say folks, it's going to take a big loss to get these quacks out of power and people to wake up. People have to let history repeat itself. But don't worry, we're Democrats..we have always cleaned up the messes the GOP have made and we'll clean up these. And again, history will repeat itself.... people won't trust them in complete power for decades again. We'll have the House and Senate back. Sadly, lives have to be lost and people have to suffer for it to happen. Blame the GOP..they like Laura Bush know exatly what they are doing. And so do we..thank God.
BLACK PEOPLE MUST STAND UP AND STOP THE BUSH RIGHT WING KKK PARTY THEY MUST BE STOP NOW KKK
BLACK PEOPLE MUST STAND UP AND STOP THE BUSH RIGHT WING KKK PARTY THEY MUST BE STOP NOW KKK
Ah, voting rights! Do people who are poor/ of color need voting rights? They are just suppose to do what they are told, aren't they? I mean, really! They will be taken care of, don't worry! And as for our FIRST lady, I'm sure she is just being a good southern belle and leaving all that "men's work" to the men, don't you know! You wouldn't want her to interfere in men's work!
But as for the past election, I've never felt more intimidated before. Some guy walks up and starts being my "friend" making comments about how thankful he was to have a chance to reelect Bush so "we can keep God in the government" and etc. I was polite, but I offered no information. After all I am in one of the most Rebub places in the country! I wonder if they'll have the racial profilers out for the next election looking for possible detainees for whatever trumped up reasons to keep me from voting? Who knows? Stranger things have happened lately! Just a thought or too. Later.
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