Page 4 - Florida Sentinel 9-3-21

March For Voting Rights
Thousands March In D. C. For Voting Rights
Thousands of people gath- ered in Washington, D.C., and other cities across the country on Saturday to protest a re- cent slew of legislation that critics say suppresses voter rights, particularly for voters of color and young voters, in many Republican-led states.
The event, called the March On For Voting Rights, took place on the 58th anniversary of the 1963 March On Washington when Martin Luther King, Jr. delivered his "I Have A Dream" speech. Saturday's event was organized by the Rev. Al Sharpton's Na- tional Action Network and partner organizations. Other events also took place in At- lanta, Miami and Phoenix.
In D. C., participants gath- ered early Saturday in McPherson Square, and marched to the National Mall for a rally with the U. S. Capi- tol as a backdrop. Organizers say the event drew thousands to Washington.
The event also drew out some participants who de- scribed themselves as new to politics.
What Prompted The Marches This Weekend
Two years after the origi- nal March On Washington, the Voting Rights Act Of 1965 was signed into law, but two Supreme Court rulings in the last decade have weakened its enforcement powers. The lat- est ruling came in July and prompted the call for this
Thousands came to Washington for the March On For Voting Rights. Martin Luther King, III, the Rev. Al Sharpton, and Texas Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee are among those pictured.
weekend's national marches. Organizers of the march say that the state-level legisla- tion and the weakening of the Voting Rights Act "signal a re-
turn to the Jim Crow era." New voting laws in Ari- zona, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Kansas, Mon- tana and Wyoming each differ but overall have the effect of restricting voter access, ac- cording to the Voting Rights Lab. Texas is set to pass its
own new restrictions.
Some of the measures in- clude tougher ID require- ments for mail-in voting, curtailing drop boxes, reduc- ing early voting hours and creating new crimes related to
voting.
Protesters called on
elected officials to protect democracy, including the pas- sage of federal legislation that would ensure fair and easy ac- cess to voting across the coun- try.
The John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act, named for the late Georgia congressman and civil rights leader, aims to restore the Voting Rights Act and was passed by the House ear- lier this week. It passed on party lines and is headed to the evenly divided Senate, where Democrats do not have the votes to overcome strong opposition from Republicans.
Protesters on Saturday also showed support for the For The People Act, which fo- cuses on ending the gerry- mandering of congressional districts, setting mandates for early and mail-in voting and increasing transparency in campaign financing.
Who Spoke At The March In Washington, D.C.
Among those who ad- dressed the crowd on the Na- tional Mall were Washington, D. C., Mayor Muriel Bowser; Alicia Garza, a co-founder of the Black Lives Matter movement; Martin Luther King, III, his wife,
Arndrea Waters King, and their daughter, Yolanda Rene King.
The Rev. Sharpton said the group decided not to go to the Lincoln Memorial this year because they wanted to focus on the Capitol, because it's there where "senators will decide whether to continue the segregationist legislative strategy of filibuster or whether they're going to give the people of this country the right to vote with no prohibi- tion."
"That building is the target of our social justice move- ment. Not 58 years ago, but today," Sharpton said.
Tyrone Turner For NPR
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