Health & Fitness
Why Are We Still Fighting Over African-American Voting Rights 50 Years Later?
50 Years ago people Marched on Washington demanding civil rights, equality, and voting rights. Now in states all across the US those voting rights are once again under attack.
Dr. Martin Luther King — August 28, 1963
On August 28th we will celebrate the 50th anniversary of the March on Washington, where over 200,000 people gathered in front of the Lincoln Memorial. The event — organized by labor organizations, faith leaders, and civil rights activists — became one of the most memorable moments in American history.
A commemoration held this past weekend drew tens of thousands to the Washington Mall; but there will beanother celebration on Wednesday, featuring remarks by President Barack Obama.
The 1963 March on Washington was the culmination of activists pushing for equality for all, regardless of race. The March is credited with being the catalyst for passing the Civil Rights Act (1964) and the Voting Rights Act (1965).
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“We can never be satisfied as long as a Negro in Mississippi cannot vote and a Negro in New York believes he has nothing for which to vote. No, no, we are not satisfied, and we will not be satisfied until justice rolls down like waters and righteousness like a mighty stream.” Dr. Martin Luther King — August 28, 1963
Some people, particularly jurists on the Supreme Court, are saying that discrimination does not exist anymore and there is no need for the Voting Rights Act. I disagree. The Voting Rights Act is needed just as much today as it was in 1965.
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In states all around the country, the Republican Party has been attacking voters’ rights with ALEC-inspired laws like Voter ID. So far 30 states have passed some type of Voter ID requirement in an effort to combat a non-existent voter fraud problem. Anyone who does not have the type of photo ID required by these new laws is effectively losing their Constitutional right to vote. According to the ACLU “11% of US citizens – or more than 21 million Americans — do not have government-issued photo identification.”
This directly affects the African-American community. “As many as 25% of African American citizens of voting age do not have a government-issued photo ID, compared to only 8% of their white counterparts.”
Over the last few months, North Carolina has been leading the charge to disenfranchise voters, specifically African-American voters.
