Eight years ago today, the Supreme Court significantly weakened the Voting Rights Act in the infamous Shelby v. Holder case. The ruling opened the floodgates to voter suppression, allowing states to pass restrictive measures that made it harder for Black and Brown communities to cast a ballot. Since the 2013 ruling, 48 states have introduced or passed almost 400 pieces of legislation that create barriers to the ballot box. 

Now, with the U.S. Senate failing to advance the For the People Act (S. 1) earlier this week, political commentators are declaring federal voting rights legislation dead. 

BUT we know the fight to pass S. 1 and H.R. 4, the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act, is very much alive! The fight is far from over! 

This month, we are gearing up for a summer of activism and have already begun the hard work of turning up the heat on Congress. On Monday, our team stood in solidarity with our Georgia partners at the Atlanta stop of the Black Voters Matter Freedom Ride Bus Tour.

Join us TOMORROW, June 26, from 12-4pm in Washington, DC, for the last stop of the tour as we provide political education on the voter suppression wave sweeping our nation and demand that Congress pass the For the People Act, the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act, and H.R 51, a bill that would make DC the 51^st state. RSVP to attend here. Can’t attend in person? Join the conversation on social media using #FreedomRide2021. 

You can also join the fight by taking these three steps:

1. Register to vote & check your registration at vote.org. Ensure your name is on the voter rolls and that your local election officials have you most up to date information for you.
2. Call your U.S. Senator TODAY at (202) 224-​3121 and demand they pass the For the People Act and the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act, even if it means amending the Senate’s filibuster rules. 
3. Connect with us in our local work in Georgia and Florida. Sign-up to learn more about events in the month of July.

Read our latest blog post from Jenna Israel on why voting rights matter to young people in this critical moment. 

In addition to the bus tour, we’ve also joined a special campaign called Deadline for Democracy. The summer campaign aims to mobilize local activists and organizers during Congress’ July recess to host visible public events, urging Congress to pass the For the People Act. Find and attend one of the 140 events across the country. Watch the livestream of the campaign launch on Monday, June 28 at 8pm ET.

Finally, we’re throwing down on the Supreme Court’s pending decision in an important voting rights case Brnovich v. DNC. The case has the potential to define the next decade of efforts to protect the freedom to vote. While our hope is that the court will affirm that there’s no place for racism in our elections and strike down Arizona’s racially discriminatory voting laws, we will educate voters on what the decision means for them. 

We’ve come too far to give up now. And we won’t stop fighting until we win. We are excited to see you all this summer!

In Solidarity,

Advancement Project National Office Team

P.S. We also cannot forget to wish Tamir Rice a happy heavenly birthday today. #WeWillNotStop until all of us are free.