Civil rights leaders and activists risked their lives for the right to vote. But the Voting Rights Act of 1965, widely considered the crown jewel of the movement, was gutted in 2013 in Shelby County v. Holder. That decision opened the floodgates for a wide range of voter suppression measures designed by the Right to keep African Americans, Latinos, young people, the elderly and others from exercising the right to vote.
PFAW has been on the front lines of change, supporting voting rights legislation, pushing back on voter suppression and, through PFAW Foundation’s programs, building civic engagement with local leaders in communities across the country. Especially as we head into 2020, we must continue to fight to protect every American’s right to vote.
The Voting Rights Act of 1965 was an important achievement of the civil rights movement. In securing their right to vote, the Voting Rights Act said that African Americans mattered.
We can never stop sending that message. Racial discrimination and violence and voter suppression still exist, and African Americans and many others still need the Voting Rights Act. Everyone’s rights are at stake.
