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John,

Tomorrow marks the anniversary of “Bloody Sunday” – March 7, 1965 – when hundreds of civil rights marchers began walking out of Selma, Alabama in a demonstration against racist laws that prevented Black Americans from taking part in the democratic process.

When they reached the Edmund Pettus Bridge – a mere six blocks from the start of the march – law enforcement attacked them with billy clubs and tear gas, stopping the peaceful demonstrators in their tracks.

But they were not deterred. Two days later, Martin Luther King, Jr. led a symbolic march to the Edmund Pettus Bridge. Then a third, full-scale march from Selma to Montgomery gathered over 25,000 demonstrators. Less than five months later, President Lyndon Johnson signed the Voting Rights Act of 1965.

Fast forward to today and we are still marching.

55 years later, I will be participating in a commemorative march led by Rep. John Lewis to mark this solemn anniversary – but it is also intended to highlight the fact that we are still fighting many of the same battles decades later.

Just this week, we heard reports of voters waiting in line for more than 6 HOURS to cast their ballots in the presidential primary contest, because the number of polling places were reduced in an effort to suppress the vote. Republican legislatures continue trying to curtail equal voting access, from implementing restrictive voter ID laws to eliminating same-day registration, online registration, and early voting. The effect is the same: making it harder to vote.

I remain inspired by those who put their lives on the line to ensure all Americans had equal and fair access to the ballot box – and I commit to the fight for voting rights in their honor.

I have cosponsored legislation like H.R. 1 and H.R. 4 to protect the voting rights of every American. Together, we will build a movement that brings all voices into the political process and uplifts the democratic values this nation was founded on.

Thanks for being with me in this fight,

-- Jahana



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