Today we recognize, remember, and celebrate the life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Dr. King was a trailblazer for the advancements of civil rights for Black Americans.
As time has gone on, his record has been white-washed to fit the narratives of too many who would rather be comfortable with their own version of who they think Dr. King was — and they’ve gotten away without taking any meaningful action to actually honor the work he did.
People cannot quote or praise Dr. King in the same breath that they defend their opposition to expanding voting rights and passing voting rights legislation.
As his daughter Bernice King has said — “enact policies that reflect your birthday sentiments”.
That is why we must pass the Freedom to Vote Act and the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act.
After the Supreme Court gutted crucial parts of the Voting Rights Act, many states have gone to extremes to make sure they can suppress the vote as much as possible — whether it's been by enacting voter ID laws, purging voters from their rolls, gerrymandering, outright voter intimidation, or other ways in which they’ve made voting even more difficult than it already is.
These bills will help end racial gerrymandering, secure the right to vote for millions of people, and work to end voter suppression across the country.
The House has passed the Freedom to Vote Act and the John Lewis Voting Rights Amendment Act.
Now, two Democrats and all of the Republicans in the Senate are standing in the way by arguing to preserve an arcane rule that has been used to STOP civil rights legislation from passing.
We must abolish the filibuster and pass this voting rights legislation. Without it, we will continue to see an undoing of what voting rights we DO have and further erosion of our democracy. Abolishing the filibuster and passing these two bills is just one of the ways we can truly honor the legacy of Dr. King and take real action.
In solidarity,
Bruno
