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Civil Rights Icon Rep. John Lewis Dies At 80

Source: Elijah Nouvelage / Getty

Ever since ex-President Donald Trump lost his bid for reelection and famously Republican states like Georgia up and turned blue, we have seen a blatant effort by Republicans to suppress the vote and disenfranchise people—and especially Black people and people of color—who wish to take part in our electoral process. We saw it when Trump decided he just couldn’t take an L so he embarked on a mission to spread “stop the steal” propaganda claiming, with zero evidence, that the 2020 election was stolen from him.

MORE: The House Passed A Voting Rights Bill Honoring John Lewis. The Senate Needs To Take Action.

In Georgia, Gov. Brian Kemp and other Republican officials joined GOP lawmakers across the country in using that falsely obtained “stop the steal” momentum to pass needlessly restrictive voting laws that activists, faith leaders and voters have not and will not stop denouncing as obvious attempts at voter suppression under the guise of securing state elections they never proved were in need of further securing in the first place.

This is why on August 28th, local Atlanta activists will be honoring the 58th anniversary of Martin Luther King Jr.’s iconic March on Washington by organizing the March On For Voting Rights rally and concert aimed at sending the message that voter suppression will not be tolerated in the Peach State.

Oh, and lest we forget to mention, the concert’s headliner will be none other than Atlanta’s own Ludacris.

Activists Join Freedom Friday March At MLK Memorial In Washington, DC

Source: Alex Wong / Getty

“During the Presidential and Georgia runoff elections, March On traveled throughout Georgia to ensure that we empowered voters and combated the rampant disinformation in communities that are vulnerable to voter suppression,” Andi Pringle, Political and Strategic Campaigns Director of March On, said, according to a press release sent to NewsOne. “These efforts worked, and now, people are attempting to make it harder to vote in Georgia and states across the country, and it is morally unconscionable and anti-democratic. We’re calling on Congress to pass the John Lewis Voting Rights Act and the For the People Act by any means necessary.”

The march, which is co-sponsored by March On, SEIU, National Action Network and the Drum Major Institute, will also feature speakers like MLK’s daughter Dr. Bernice King, former Atlanta mayor Shirley Franklin, Congresswoman Nikema Williams, former NAACP President Ben Jealous, ACLU Georgia Executive Director Andrea Young and activists Courtney and Corrie Cockrell, the great-nieces of murdered civil rights leader Medgar Evers.

If you live in the Atlanta area and you care about your access to the ballot box being protected, this event is not to be missed.

Marches will also be happening in Atlanta, Miami, Houston, Phoenix and cities across America. For more information on the march, visit marchonforvotingrights.org

ALSO SEE: 

Could Restoring Voting Rights to Formerly Incarcerated People Expand Number Of Black Senators?

The Voting Rights Act Was Signed On This Day. 56 Years Later, It Remains Under Attack

Black Organizers Want Biden To Take Definitive Action On Voting Rights

 

 

March On For Voting Rights: Activists Fight Voter Suppression In Georgia With Rally And Concert Featuring Ludacris And More  was originally published on newsone.com