Friend,

The late congressman John R. Lewis once said that voting “is the most powerful nonviolent tool we have in a democracy.”

His words still ring true.

Today, we commemorate the 60th anniversary of the 1965 Voting Rights Act (VRA) — a landmark piece of legislation that broke barriers to the ballot box, paved the way for millions of Black people to vote and fundamentally changed American democracy.

Born from the courage and collective action of everyday people who risked everything — including their own lives — the Voting Rights Act was a hard-won victory in the struggle for racial justice and civil rights.

The Southern Poverty Law Center has continued building on that legacy — defending the right to vote by working directly with lawmakers, challenging discriminatory anti-voter laws and supporting organizations doing the groundwork registering and mobilizing voters year-round — all thanks to you.

But we know the fight for freedom is far from over. We must pressure our elected leaders to take all necessary steps to defend our democracy and resolutely protect the rights of all Americans — which means passing legislation restoring and modernizing the VRA of 1965.

The U.S. became a democracy for the first time in 1965, with the passage of the VRA securing voting rights for all people, regardless of race or ethnicity. Today, this critical law and our multiracial democracy more broadly are under siege by an authoritarian president and a compliant Congress and Supreme Court hell-bent on rolling back voting and civil rights, especially for Black and Brown people.

To make matters worse, a proposed anti-voter bill in Congress, the SAVE Act, threatens to disenfranchise millions of Americans, rolling back hard-fought gains and silencing voices that have long been marginalized.

But that bill has stalled in the Senate (for now) thanks to YOUR advocacy. Just like those brave foot soldiers of the Civil Rights Movement, we have power. Despite the odds, when we speak up and fight back, we can win.

Honoring the past means doing the work now to ensure that our voices are heard at the ballot box for generations to come. We owe it to the resilience and sacrifices of those who came before us to continue safeguarding some of our most fundamental rights. That is why the SPLC remains committed today — fighting with all we have to ensure voting rights become a reality for all.

Sincerely,

The Southern Poverty Law Center