Summer is upon us and we’re turning up the heat on Congress to pass federal legislation strengthening voting rights.
How are we doing it? We’re glad you asked.
FIRST!
We’ve signed on as national partners to the Black Voters Matter Freedom Ride for Voting Rights Bus Tour. Sixty years after the original Freedom Riders challenged discrimination and segregation in the Jim Crow South, Black Americans still face significant barriers to the ballot box. To continue the fight against systemic racism and voter suppression, the “Blackest Bus in America” will travel from Jackson, Mississippi to Washington, DC from June 19 – June 26, 2021. The tour will engage and mobilize voters in support of federal voting rights legislation and we hope you can join us for the multi-city tour kicking off on Juneteenth!
Join Advancement Project National Office staff on the ground for campaign stops in Atlanta on Monday, June 21 from 2:30-5:00 p.m. and on Saturday, June 26 from 12:00-5:00pm in Washington, DC. Learn more about the campaign and RSVP to attend the one of campaign stops today! Support the effort online using #FreedomRide2021.
SECOND!
We’re going hard in the paint during a pivotal week for voting rights. Next week, the U.S. Senate will vote on S. 1, the For the People Act, a bill that sets basic national standards for voting to make sure all Americans can vote in the way that works best for them. It also blocks billionaires from buying our elections and implements anti-corruption measures so that Congress works for the people, not special interest lobbyists.
We’re asking you to call your U.S. Senators and demand they pass S. 1 and H.R. 4, the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act, a bill that would restore federal oversight of elections in states with a history of racial discrimination in voting. Please take 5 minutes TODAY to call your Senators at (202) 224-3121 and urge them to support these critical, pro-democracy bills.
THIRD!
Today, we’re joining the social media push to support the Counseling Not Criminalization in Schools Act to get elected officials to support this legislation that helps reduce the over-policing and criminalization of our nation’s students.
The bill would help end the policing and criminalization of our nation’s students by:
- Prohibiting federal funds to support the hiring, recruitment, and placement of law enforcement on K-12 school campuses.
- Establishing a $5 billion grant program to invest in school districts seeking to replace law enforcement officers with adequately trained personnel — like counselors, social workers, nurses, mental health practitioners, and trauma-informed personnel — which has been proven to create safer and more inclusive learning environments in schools.
Help us tell federal elected officials that they must act now to help end the school-to-prison-and-deportation pipeline by co-sponsoring the Counseling Not Criminalization in Schools Act. Join the conversation using this Social Media Toolkit.
To learn more about #PoliceFreeSchools, the Counseling Not Criminalization in Schools Act, Youth Mandate, and other ways to join the movement, please visit www.youthmandate.com.
FINALLY!
We’ve joined the Deadline for Democracy Campaign, a collaborative effort of more than 70 organizations that are demanding Congress pass federal voting rights legislation in the month of July! To put pressure on Congress to act, the coalition will be hosting in-person and virtual events demanding that our national leaders ensure everyone has the fundamental right to vote. Be on the lookout for summer mobilizations throughout the month!
It is clear that our work to ensure Black and Brown communities have equal access to voting is far from over. Join us in turning up the heat on Congress today!
In Solidarity,
Advancement Project National Office
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