[ [link removed] ]Sign now: Democrats must honor Martin Luther King Jr's legacy with
action to protect and expand our freedom to vote.

Dear MoveOn member,

My father, Martin Luther King Jr., knew that the right to vote was
essential to bring about equality. African Americans must have the right
to vote.

He fought for landmark legislation, including the Voting Rights Act of
1965, and organized voter registration drives like the Freedom Summer to
codify our right to have a say in the halls of power and laws that govern
our lives. And now, backlash from Republican-controlled legislatures and
the right-wing-packed Supreme Court are working to undo my father’s legacy
and our freedom to vote.

The time to act is now: Senate Majority Leader Schumer set a deadline of
on or before Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, one week from today, to vote on
unrigging the rules of democracy.^1 

[ [link removed] ]Add your name: President Biden and Senate Democrats must abolish the
Jim Crow filibuster to protect our freedom to vote.

We call on all Democrats to protect our democracy and our fundamental
rights that my father and countless others have fought tirelessly to
achieve. There is no time to waste for President Biden and Senate
Democrats to use their full power to abolish the filibuster and pass the
Freedom to Vote Act and John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act. 

[3]Sign Martin Luther King III's petition

A record number of voters—over 81 million people from a multiracial,
multigenerational coalition—elected President Biden and VP Harris, and we
knew the stakes.^2 Democrats in the House, Senate, and presidency promised
to deliver on voting rights, and so we delivered the unique governing
opportunity for them to make good on their word, defend our democratic
principles, and fight for the communities they represent.

The backlash from Republicans, who fear the power of Black and brown
voters, has been swift and brutal. Almost 400 bills aimed at limiting our
freedom to vote have been introduced.^3 In my home state of Georgia, the
legislature created additional pathways to interfere, even giving itself
the power to take over local elections, including the ability to overturn
results they dislike.^4 We’ve seen this before. Following Reconstruction,
a white backlash stole voting rights from African Americans, instituted
Jim Crow laws, and spawned the Ku Klux Klan. During and after the civil
rights movement, white backlash led to efforts to intimidate us from
exercising our rights and suppress turnout among Black, brown, and
Indigenous voters.^5

The U.S. Senate can confront these attacks by passing popular voting
rights legislation—but only if they respect the freedom to vote above
protecting the ability of the right-wing minority to abuse the filibuster.
And President Biden can use the power of his office to compel Senate
Democrats to act. But together, they must choose either to protect our
freedom to vote or protect the racist tool that has been used to block
progress for generations. They cannot do both.

[ [link removed] ]This moment calls us to lift our voices and show once again that the
power lies in our hands. Sign the petition now to tell our elected
officials that it's time to act on voting rights.

We should not have to once again march for the same basic voting rights my
father and civil rights leaders secured in the 1960s. But as my father
would have, we will continue to use our voices to call for what is right,
what is just, and what is equitable. We call on our leaders to act with
courage and moral conviction to defend our democracy. We demand that when
they quote my father, celebrate his life and work, or say they loved John
Lewis, they show that love in their actions.

It is long past time that we stop bending to the filibuster as it enables
dangerous obstruction to effectively greenlight racist policies. The
voting rights bills sitting in the Senate will protect our freedom to
vote, curb the power of money in politics, work toward fair
representation, and protect election results.^6 We must work toward a
nation where racism, poverty, and violence are replaced with peace,
justice, and equity.

A majority of senators and the American people support these bills to
protect our freedom.^7 It is a minority of senators representing an even
smaller minority of Americans who are using the filibuster to halt all
progress and to allow our freedom to vote to be stripped away. But we will
achieve our dreams with our votes and our power.

The anthem of the civil rights movement—"We Shall Overcome"—resonates
today just as it did half a century ago. We shall overcome the assault
against our most basic and important right as Americans. [ [link removed] ]Please add
your name to call on Democrats to protect our right to vote, and pass this
petition along to everyone you know.

–Martin Luther King III

You're receiving this petition because we thought it might interest you.
It was created on MoveOn.org, where anyone can start their own online
petitions. You can [ [link removed] ]start your own petition here.

Sources: 

1. "Schumer: Senate to vote on filibuster change on voting bill," The
Associated Press, January 3, 2021
[link removed]
 
2. "Who helped Biden get the most votes in history?" The Washington
Post, January 20, 2021
[link removed]
 
3. "State Voting Bills Tracker 2021," Brennan Center for Justice, accessed
December 16, 2021
[link removed]
 
4. "What Georgia’s Voting Law Really Does," The New York Times, August 18,
2021
[link removed]
 
5. "Jim Crow Laws," PBS, accessed December 16, 2021
[link removed]
 
6. "Senate Democrats renew focus on voting rights as domestic policy bill
stalls and filibuster changes are considered," The New York
Times, December 15, 2021
[link removed]
 
7. Ibid.




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