To mark the 61st anniversary of the Voting Rights Act, Damon T. Hewitt, President and Executive Director of the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, the convener of the Election Protection Coalition, issued the following statement:
“Sixty-one years ago, our nation passed the Voting Rights Act – landmark legislation designed to remedy a deep rooted historical and ongoing injustice and disenfranchisement that has denied Black Americans equal voice to fully participate in and shape our democracy. The impact of the Voting Rights Act has been nothing short of transformative, helping to build Black political power over generations with innovative provisions that address various forms of discrimination, sometimes before the discrimination even happened. But today, the Voting Rights Act is only a shell of its former self, and state legislatures have seized the opportunity to again gerrymander Black voters out of meaningful and influential representation, carving up and eliminating key voting districts in a concertedly harmful effort to silence our voices.
“With primaries still underway, voters in multiple states are facing recent gerrymandered maps, some of which were brazenly adopted even after elections were underway. This is all happening while the federal government is both encouraging and instigating other forms of voter suppression – from voter purges to improper demands for voters’ personal data.
“The Lawyers’ Committee is actively challenging these efforts to dilute Black political power. Regardless of any dubious rule change or rigged map, we are working to ensure that Black voters and communities of color remain informed, organized, and determined to exercise their political power. Through our leadership role in the Election Protection Coalition – the nation’s leading non-partisan voter protection initiative – we give voters the support and protection they deserve to vote and have that vote count. Through our 866-OUR-VOTE hotline and the 866ourvote.org website, we are meeting the moment and addressing voter questions and concerns head-on. We’ve also created resources like the Black Voter Survival Guide that respond directly to the intensified threats to voter access this year. We are prepared, we are watching, and we are ready to help. Every voter deserves the opportunity to be heard at the ballot box, and we will defend that promise through November and beyond.”
