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John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act & Dozens of Other Congressional Leaders to Join Rev. Al Sharpton, the King Family, and over 140 Partners for the March On for Washington and Voting Rights

Aug 23, 2021

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The Siblings of John Lewis, along with Congresswoman Terri Sewell, (D-AL-7), Sponsor of H.R. 4, John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act & Dozens of Other Congressional Leaders to Join Rev. Al Sharpton, the King Family, and over 140 Partners for the March On for Washington and Voting Rights

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Rev. Al Sharpton, along with the King Family and the civil rights leaders behind the March On for Washington and Voting Rights, announced that the siblings of the late civil rights legend Representative John Lewis, along Congresswoman Terri Sewell, (D-AL-7), Sponsor of H.R. 4, John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act will march alongside the King family, Rev. Al Sharpton and other leaders on Saturday, August 28th at the Washington D.C. March. The John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act, legislation aimed to protect voters from discriminatory practices, will be voted on this week.

August 28 is the 58th anniversary of the original 1963 March on Washington, when a diverse coalition of activists marched to secure the passage of the historic Civil Rights Act and Voting Rights Act. Today, with over 400 voter suppression bills being proposed around the country, we’re facing the same urgency to rise up and demand Congressional action to protect our right to vote. The growing coalition joins civil rights leaders including Martin Luther King III, Arndrea Waters King and Reverend Al Sharpton to lead marches in Washington, D.C., Houston, Miami, Atlanta, Phoenix and more than 40 other cities around the country to demand Congress eliminate the filibuster to pass voting rights protections.

The purpose of the August 28th nationwide demonstrations are to demand federal voting rights legislation. Over 140 partners have signed on. You can find a full list of partners here.

To register for credentials to cover the march, please use this form.

 

For more information on March On For Voting Rights, please contact

[email protected] or visit https://marchonforvotingrights.org/.

 

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About March On for Washington and Voting Rights

 

March On for Washington and Voting Rights is a mass mobilization to demand that elected officials protect democracy, denounce voter suppression, make D.C. a state, and ensure fair, easy access to the vote. On August 28, the 58th anniversary of the historic March on Washington, we will march on cities across America to demand that the vision of MLK’s “I Have a Dream” speech be deferred no longer. That means passing the For the People Act, the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act, and the Washington, D.C. Admission Act. The march is led by Drum Major Institute, March On, the National Action Network, Future Coalition, SEIU, and 51 for 51, and is joined by over 140 other partners. The march is funded through the #ForJohn campaign, a grassroots effort co-founded by Martin Luther King III and Arndrea King to fight voter suppression.

 

About March On

 

March On is a political organization composed of women-led political activist groups that grew out of the women’s marches of January 21, 2017. They have come together as a united force to take concrete, coordinated actions at the federal, state and local levels to impact elections and move the country in a progressive direction. For more information, visit wearemarchon.org.

 

About the Drum Major Institute

 

The Drum Major Institute advances the core mission of our founder, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., to assure that the arc of the moral universe continues to bend toward justice. Dr. King’s legacy and voice are as important today as they were upon our founding 60 years ago. To meet this historic moment, we are lending our unique ability to facilitate dialogue and collaboration to support the countless courageous acts of individuals and organizations across the nation and the world to ensure that the vital conversations that are now starting will sustain and advance far beyond this moment in time—and lead to tangible lasting outcomes. We encourage all people to embrace their role in the King legacy, take action in their community and strive to build the Beloved Community. Learn more at drummajorinst.org.

 

About SEIU

 

Service Employees International Union is an organization of 2 million members united by the belief in the dignity and worth of workers and the services they provide, and dedicated to improving the lives of workers and their families and creating a more just and humane society. For more information, visit https://www.seiu.org/.

 

About National Action Network

 

National Action Network is one of the leading civil rights organizations in the Nation with chapters throughout the entire United States. Founded in 1991 by Reverend Al Sharpton, NAN works within the spirit and tradition of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. to promote a modern civil rights agenda that includes the fight for one standard of justice, decency and equal opportunities for all people regardless of race, religion, ethnicity, citizenship, criminal record, economic status, gender, gender expression, or sexuality. For more information, visit https://nationalactionnetwork.net/

 

About Future Coalition

 

Founded by youth activists for youth activists, Future Coalition is a network and community for youth-led organizations and Gen Z and young millennial leaders from across the country that came into being as a project of March On in the fall of 2018. Future Coalition works collaboratively to provide young people with the resources, tools, and support they need to create the change they want to see in their communities and in this country. For more information, visit futurecoalition.org.

 

About 51 for 51

 

51 for 51 is a coalition of D.C.-based and national groups committed to equal representation for the over 700,000 D.C. residents who remain locked out of our democracy. The coalition of 20 progressive groups believe American citizens living in the District deserve a voice in Congress and control over their own local laws. Already, President Biden, Vice President Harris, and Senators Warren, Markey, Gillibrand and Hickenlooper have endorsed 51 for 51’s proposed path to statehood.