To Be Equal: Freedom to Vote and John Lewis Acts

& by Marc H.& Morial& (TriceEdneyWire.com)—“As long as some among us are oppressed–and we are part of that oppression–it must blunt our faith and sap the strength of our high purpose. Thus, this is a victory for the freedom of the American Negro. But it is also a victory for the freedom of the American Nation. And every family across this great, entire, searching land will live stronger in liberty, will live more splendid in expectation, and will be prouder to be American because of the act that you have passed that I will sign today.”—President Lyndon B.& Johnson, on signing the Voting Rights Act of 1965 Last week in Chicago, the National Urban League joined with the Brennan Center and Democracy SENTRY for a conversation on voting rights. “One of the first things I want to do, should we have the presidency and keep the majority, is change the rules and enact both the Freedom to Vote Act and the& John& Lewis& Act,” Keynote speaker Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said. He later told reporters, “This is vital to democracy. This is not just another extraneous issue. This is the wellspring of it all.” The sentiment was echoed by...