1. United States
2. S.C.
3. Letter

The forces of Jim Crow and white supremacy never accepted the Voting Rights Act of 1965. With the recent Supreme Court’s decision in Louisiana v. Callais they have finally succeeded in their six-decade terror campaign to burn it down. For the sake of our democracy, Congress must act to rebuild it as soon as possible. The right for equal protection under the law is such a basic principle of our country. Gutting these provisions is such a betrayal to the American people, and to the ideals of equality. The VRA was a triumph for our country, a huge step towards safeguarding our basic right to have a say in how we’re governed – the dream of the American Revolution made real. Some of our greatest heroes fought and died for it, and some of our most shameful figures killed to stop it. As Congress recognized in extending it five times between 1970 and 2006, it was not a final victory over the forces of racism and tyranny. The Supreme Court and Republican party has continued to chip away at every weak spot they could find in the fortress of our freedom until we shored them up. Letting the Voting Rights Act remain gutted is abandoning our shield against having a equal value and representation under the law. What a shameful history. No one believes this is about partisan gerrymandering and not a deeply held fear that white men will lose their power and position in society. Champions of our Constitution have longed pushed for a full restoration of the VRA via the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act. We need it, and even further protections, now more than ever. Please, be on the right side of history on this. Publicly commit to supporting, co-sponsoring and fighting fiercely with every weapon in your political arsenal to bring such measures to the floor and pass them into law.