John,

Four years ago today, America lost a great statesman and civil rights hero in Congressman John Lewis. That’s why today, we’re joining with allies from across the country in the John Lewis Day of Commemoration and Action.

Rep. John Lewis was the personification of the American Dream: born to Alabama sharecroppers during Jim Crow, he became a leader in the sit-in and Nashville Student Movement while attending Fisk University, and participated in the Freedom Rides of the Civil Rights Movement.

Through his activism and belief in a future where America would live up to its promise for all people, he became a Representative for Georgia’s 5th Congressional District in Atlanta, where he took his fight for voting rights from the Edmund Pettus Bridge all the way to the halls of the U.S. Congress.

For almost 50 years, the Voting Rights Act of 1965 received bipartisan support to guarantee access to the ballot box and combat discrimination in voter access. In 2013, the Supreme Court―under the leadership of Chief Justice John Roberts―gutted critical parts of the Voting Rights Act and opened the floodgates for states to implement severe voter suppression laws that disproportionately impact communities of color, low-income communities, LGBTQ+ communities, and rural communities.

The John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act would require jurisdictions with a history of voting discrimination to receive preclearance from the Department of Justice or a federal court before changing any voting laws and would allow voters to sue over gerrymandered maps that dilute the political power of communities of color―restorations from the Voting Rights Act.[1]

The most crucial part of a functioning democracy is the right to vote. Numerous people fought for―and lost their lives―so that all Americans, regardless of race, ethnicity, or religion would have that right. Send a direct message to Congress telling them to pass the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act now.

Equal opportunity to participate in our democracy and to vote is fundamental to the health and integrity of our country. However, in 28 states, voters will face new restrictions to the ballot box this year that weren’t in place in the 2020 presidential election.[2] These anti-democracy laws are a reaction to the historic, multiracial voter turnout we witnessed in the 2020 presidential election and the 2022 midterm elections.

Ever since SCOTUS removed critical protections from the Voting Rights Act 11 years ago, 31 states have passed 103 voter suppression laws.[3] As we head into another momentous presidential election, it’s imperative that we ensure that every eligible voter has the tools and resources they need to make their voice heard at the ballot box.

Join us in sending a message to Congress to restore the protections of the Voting Rights Act by passing the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act today.

Thank you for all you do,

Deborah Weinstein
Executive Director, CHN Action

[1]FACT SHEET: The John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act
[2]Voting Laws Roundup: May 2024
[3]States Have Added Nearly 100 Restrictive Laws Since SCOTUS Gutted the Voting Rights Act 10 Years Ago