Let’s Work Together to Secure Voting Rights for Black People

It is Black History Month, that sacred time of the year when all our attention rests on the contributions of Black people to the making and keeping of these yet-to-be United States of America. Truly, the contributions of Black folks are too many and varied to name, and beholding those contributions feels akin to Moses beholding the presence of God at Sinai- too glorious!  
 
And yet, despite the contributions of Black folk to America, America and some of her leaders continue to deny Black people full participation in our nation’s democracy. This year, as we reflect on Black history, we are called upon to also reflect on the coordinated effort to roll back the gains made by the Voting Rights Act of 1965. 
 
Gerrymandering, mass incarceration and voter ID laws have attacked the victory that the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. helped win. Those calculated state-level efforts keep some of our neighbors from electing representatives who truly believe Black Lives Matter.  

This Black History Month, fighting for the Freedom to Vote Act is crucial.  

This Black History Month, it's time to fight for Black lives in a new way. 

This Black History Month, we must do what we can to once more secure the right to vote for Black people.  
 
This Black History month, we must reflect on and act in ways that change the course of the future of Black people. 
 
Community Renewal Society believes voting rights are intrinsically connected to our work to eliminate barriers due to racism and poverty, and specifically our work around LGBTQIA+ rights and reparations, two of our most recent platforms issues. Meaningful legislation that compensates the descendants of enslaved Africans and allows all LGBTQIA+ people to fully enjoy the right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness can not pass without supportive lawmakers. 

Learn more about the Freedom to Vote Act and take action by encouraging your legislators to support this critical legislation.