Washington, DC — Today, in commemoration of “Bloody Sunday,” and in response to President Joe Biden’s executive order to promote voting access and his call for Congress to pass the For the People Act and the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act, President of People For the American Way Ben Jealous released the following statement:

“Fifty-six years after ‘Bloody Sunday,’ when police attacked John Lewis and other courageous civil rights activists marching peacefully in Selma, Alabama, against racist barriers to voting, we must still heed the call to be fierce champions of civil rights and voting rights. We applaud President Joe Biden’s executive order calling for the expansion of voter registration and access to voter information, as well as his call for the Senate to pass the For the People Act and the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act. If we do not act now, millions of Americans will remain at risk of losing their right to vote and the ability to fully participate in our nation’s democracy. We must honor those who stood in the gap in Selma in 1965, and those still fighting for a stronger democracy. Let’s keep standing in the gap to advance the voting rights reforms that the late John Lewis fought so hard for.”

# # #

About People For the American Way 

People For the American Way is a progressive advocacy organization founded to fight right-wing extremism and build a democratic society that implements the ideals of freedom, equality, opportunity and justice for all. We encourage civic participation, defend fundamental rights, and fight to dismantle systemic barriers to equitable opportunity. Learn more: https://www.pfaw.org