Statement by the Rev. William G. Sinkford on the Reauthorization of the Voting Rights Act
July 28, 2006
The text below is from a press release on Civilrights.org.I applaud the United States Senate's unanimous decision to reauthorize the Voting Rights Act of 1965. As we rejoice in this victory for democracy, let us also take a moment to honor the courage and sacrifice of those who first fought for the passage of the Voting Rights Act forty years ago. We remember those women and men, including James Reeb, Viola Liuzzo, and Jimmie Lee Jackson, who gave their lives so that America could live up to its most sacred promise, and we honor those among us who still work to guarantee the right to vote.
We must not turn away from the realities that make the Voting Rights Act more necessary today than ever--the deeply entrenched problems of racism and economic inequality in America. While we gathered in St. Louis for our General Assembly a few weeks ago, members of the House of Representatives tried to derail the Voting Rights Act, claiming that racial discrimination was a thing of the past, that it was "burdensome" to Southern states to comply with the Voting Rights Act. But when we look at our society today, we see longer lines and fewer services at the polls in predominantly Black neighborhoods; we see that Asian-American and Latino voters are disproportionately challenged at the polls in all parts of the country; we see gerrymandering that packs people of color into segregated voting districts in order to reduce their impact on state and local elections; we see that residents of Washington DC, a city with a predominantly Black population, still have no voting representation in Congress.
1965 was a time of great courage and sacrifice, but also a time of great hope. We must keep that hope alive as we continue the work of building a society that truly embraces all of 'we the people.' As we approach another election cycle, I urge Unitarian Universalists to once again answer the call to protect the voting rights of all citizens. Please join me in honoring our spiritual legacy as we work together to realize the most sacred promise of our democracy.
For more information contact infoatuuadotorg.
Last updated on Friday, March 2, 2007.
