Friend,
Congressman John Lewis has issued a challenge to have 80,000 Americans pledge to vote this month --
and I hope you take his pledge, but first let me explain why I'm so proud and honored to be joining John Lewis in this endeavor.
Fifty-five years ago, John Lewis joined community leaders, activists, and disenfranchised people from all across America to march from Selma to Montgomery for voting rights.
But on March 7, 1955, as they crossed the Edmund Pettus Bridge, state troopers and deputized posse members attacked the unarmed protesters with billy clubs and tear gas.
Amelia Boynton, then a local activist, was beaten unconscious. The photo of her lying wounded on the Edmund Pettus Bridge was publicized worldwide. Two days later, white supremacists murdered civil rights activist Reverend James Reeb.
The outrage sparked protests nationwide, forcing Congress to pass the
Voting Rights Act into law, a landmark bill that prohibits racial discrimination in voting.
Unfortunately, the right to vote has come under attack in recent years.
States across the country have passed measures to make it harder for Americans -- particularly minorities, the elderly, students, and people with disabilities -- to exercise their fundamental right to cast a ballot.
We have to fight back -- and that's why I'm proud to join John Lewis in his challenge to have 80,000 Americans to take a pledge this month and commit to vote this November.
Friend, can you help Team Delgado take on Congressman Lewis' challenge by pledging to vote this November?
Last year, my wife Lacey and I stood on Edmund Pettus Bridge with Congressman John Lewis and a congressional delegation to commemorate the legacy of Bloody Sunday and the civil rights movement.
It was a powerful moment to take in, to stand where giants stood and endured tremendous opposition. The experience provided me an opportunity to reflect on their tenacity and fed my passion to continue fighting against modern voter disenfranchisement.
Our government could be doing so much more to protect and provide access to the ballot box.
In 2019, the House took action to do just that with H.R. 1, the For the People Act. It would expand voter registration, make Election Day a federally recognized holiday, end partisan gerrymandering, curve corporate influence in our elections, and so much more. All to fortify our electoral system with the spirit and values of the civil rights movement.
But opposition to voter rights exists today, as it did then. H.R. 1 still sits in the Senate Majority Leader’s desk, collecting dust.
So we must follow the example of our predecessors: Organize, demand action on the issues, and never surrender to the injustices we're facing. This November, we must go to the polls and support representatives dedicated to protecting our elections and committed to empowering people.
I hope you will join me, John Lewis, and millions of Americans this fall at the polls. If we answer this call to action and stand together for the change we need, we can accomplish anything.
Best,
Antonio Delgado
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