Press Releases
Martin Luther King, III To Join Rev. Al Sharpton & National Action Network (NAN) In Atlanta Tuesday For NAN’s Voter Engagement Tour At Salem Bible Church
—!!!MEDIA ADVISORY!!!MEDIA ADVISORY!!!MEDIA ADVISORY
MARTIN LUTHER KING, III TO JOIN REV. AL SHARPTON & NATIONAL ACTION NETWORK (NAN) IN ATLANTA TUESDAY FOR NAN’S VOTER ENGAGEMENT TOUR AT SALEM BIBLE CHURCH—
NAN CONTINUES TO HIGHLIGHT VOTER SUPPRESSION IN STATES WHERE VOTER ID LAWS ARE PREVALENT AS REV. SHARPTON CALLS VOTER DISENFRANCHISEMENT ‘THE NEW JIM CROW“
WHO:
Rev. Al Sharpton, President of National Action Network
Martin Luther King, III, eldest son of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Pastor Michael A. Walrond, Jr., Head of NAN’s Ministers Division/Pastor of First Corinthian Baptist Church, Harlem, NY
Pastor Jasper Williams, Pastor of Salem Baptist church
WHAT:
NAN Voter Engagement Tour
WHERE:
Salem Bible Church
2283 Baker Rd. NW, Atlanta, GA 30318
WHEN:
TUESDAY, JULY 10, 2012
11:30 a.m. – Luncheon featuring speeches by Rev. Al Sharpton, Martin Luther King, III and local community leaders and activists
2:00 p.m. – Education for a Better America Workshop on Voting Rights
7:30 p.m. Worship Service
BACKGROUND:
Reverend Al Sharpton and the National Action Network Ministers Division will continue NAN’S Voter Engagement Tour in Atlanta, Georgia, on Tuesday, July 10th at Salem Bible Church where Pastor Jasper Williams presides. The tour kicked off last week in Florida and will tour the country in key states across the country where voter suppression and disenfranchisement is practiced and voter identification laws are prevalent. NAN’s voter engagement tour is being led by Pastor Michael A. Walrond, Jr., head of NAN’s Ministers Division in conjunction with Education for a Better America.
Georgia has one of the oldest and strictest voter ID laws, six years into the experiment of requiring additional identification to vote. NAN argues that the law has suppressed votes, and that those voters’ voices aren’t being heard. Thirty two states, including Georgia, have enacted voting identification laws, ranging from legislation requiring photo identification to cast a ballot to those allowing some other sort of identification, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. (The Grio/April 3/2012)
From now until Election Day, NAN’s goal is to educate and empower the electorate on how to combat these restrictive new voter requirements and ultimately protect voter rights. NAN will tour many of the states and cities impacted by these new draconian laws and align efforts with the local community. The day-long program will begin with a luncheon with clergy members with a focus on creating an infrastructure in each city to continue voter education and protection. Teaming up with Education for a Better America, NAN will host a workshop during the latter part of the afternoon designed to inform the voting public and engagement volunteers about new and existing laws that will impact them in their respective communities. The evening will feature a rally at a local church that will feature a keynote address by Rev. Al Sharpton.
The event at Salem Bible Church will feature local leaders, activists and clergy and will kick-off with a luncheon at 11:30 a.m. featuring speakers including Rev. Al Sharpton and other leaders followed by the Education for a Better America Workshop at 2:00p and Worship Service at 7:30p.m.
NAN’s mission is to work to ensure that every vote in every community across the nation is counted. Voter suppression efforts are threatening the notion of democracy as we know it. When about 5 million Americans may be disenfranchised from the polls this November, according to the Brennan Center for Justice, we understand that complacency is not an option.
FOR MORE INFORMATION: