WASHINGTON, D.C. – Recently, Rev. Al Sharpton, Dr. Martin Luther King III, and Arndrea Waters King, the civil rights leaders behind the March On For Voting Rights, hosted a press conference with Democratic members of the Texas legislature at the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial in Washington, D.C. The civil rights leaders were in Washington to urge members of Congress to pass federal voting rights legislation as states introduce laws that restrict access to the ballot box. The visit with Texas state legislatures today took place ahead of planned testimony on Thursday before the Civil Rights and Civil Liberties subcommittee hearing.
National Action Network President and Founder Rev. Al Sharpton: “We must resist the voter suppression that Texas, Georgia, Florida and other states are demonstrating to restrict our access at the polls. As we stood in the shadows of the Dr. King memorial along with his eldest son Martin Luther King, III and Arndrea King, we were joined by members of the Democratic Texas state legislature, who are valiantly fighting for our right to vote”.
Drum Major Institute Chairman Martin Luther King III: “It is a very difficult and interesting time in our nation’s history as we stand here in front of the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial, for not in recent history has a legislative body had to leave their state because injustice was taking place…Something is wrong within our nation at this moment, but it is not something we cannot fix. My dad and mom understood that it took only a few good women and men to bring about change and justice. They and many others gave their lives so that we would not have to be here today talking about expanding voting rights.”
Texas Legislative Black Caucus Vice Chair Rep. Ron Reynolds: “We’re here today to stand, to fight, to speak truth to power, and to stand in solidarity with our civil rights leaders and others across this country demanding that Con-gress take immediate action. As Dr. King said, ‘This is the fierce urgency of now.’ We need federal legislation—we need H.R.1, the For The People Act, passed. We need H.R.4, the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act, passed.”
Drum Major Institute President Arndrea Waters King: “The torch has now been passed to a new generation, and it really is up to us. It’s our time to continue to feed the flames of peace, justice and equity, in our nation and our world, and to stand for laws that lift us all up and not limit us.”
In addition to hosting a presser, the group met with members on Capitol Hill including Senator Joe Manchin, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, Congressman and Majority Whip Jim Clyburn, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Con-gressman Hakeem Jeffries, Congresswoman Joyce Beatty, and Senator Lindsey Graham. Closely following these meet-ings, the Washington Post reported Senate Democrats will propose a revised voting rights bill this week.
All of these meetings help build momentum for the “March On For Voting Rights,” a mass mobilization organized by the Drum Major Institute, March On, the National Action Network, Future Coalition and SEIU that will take place on August 28, 2021, the 58th anniversary of Dr. King’s peaceful and historic March On Washington.
For more information on the march, please contact media@wearemarchon.org
or visit https://marchonforvotingrights.org/.
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