When my mother died at 92 years old, the last thing she said to me was this: “Do not let them take our votes away from us.”

It resonated with me, and it has been a powerful mission throughout my career.

My mother witnessed the pain and suffering African Americans went through to secure our right to cast a ballot -- a right that was denied to us for generations. She did not want to see this nation dragged back into those dark days.

But in 2013, key provisions of the VRA were struck down, and today, our voting rights are in danger again of voter suppression.

I will always heed my mother’s call to protect our voting rights. I need you to join me, so we can make our voices heard. Sign your name and demand the Voting Rights Act be restored in full.

Before the Voting Rights Act, African Americans in the South were subject to unjust poll tests, poll taxes, and violent voter intimidation designed to keep them from casting their ballots. The VRA outlawed those practices and required voting districts with a history of discrimination to get pre-clearance from the federal government before changing voting laws. Those safeguards were eliminated in a 2013 Supreme Court decision. Today, Republicans are using restrictive voting laws that disproportionately affect African American voters to win elections.

This is about the soul of our democracy.

We can’t let our hard-won progress be laid to waste. I will never stop defending our democratic values and rights.

I need you with me. Sign your name and call on Congress to restore the full protections of the Voting Rights Act.

Thank you,

Elijah