On Saturday, May 8, local activists and elected officials joined the Transformative Justice Coalition, Public Citizen, Declaration for American Democracy, and the Leadership Conference for the National John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Action Day in support of S1. Philly’s Votercade commenced at Prince of Peace Baptist Church (32nd & Diamond Streets) and traveled through North Philadelphia and made stops at Fox Street & Roberts Avenue, 29th & Diamond Streets, 22nd & Lehigh Avenue, and returned to Prince of Peace Baptist Church. Following the Votercade, community members and elected officials participated in a virtual panel discussion.
The For the People Act (S1), HR4: John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act (HR4). The action is one of 100 (and counting!) nationwide to urge Congress to immediately pass the For the People Act, which passed the House of Representatives on March 3rd and was recently introduced in the U.S. Senate as S.1.
Following the record-breaking Black, Brown, and Youth voter turnout in the Georgia Runoff election, state legislatures across America released an offensive onslaught of un- democratic legislation designed to specifically suppress the vote of communities of color and youth voters. These actions were made possible in many states due to the erosion of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 by the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in Shelby County v. Holder (2013).
Call to Action: The need to transform our political sys- tems is more urgent now than ever. States have introduced over 250 bills to restrict or limit voting access since the 2020 elections, and corporations and wealthy interests pay top dollar to influence elections and drown out the voices of everyday voters. The For the People Act is a landmark bill that will expand and protect the freedom to vote, ending partisan and racial gerrymandering, get dark money out of politics, and restore transparency and accountability in our government. With pro-reformers controlling the House, the Senate, and the White House, we have an opportunity to transform our political system into one that realizes the true promise of American democracy. But this transformative change can only happen if the For the People Act passes the U.S. Senate.
Philly Voter Activism is Philadelphia’s local convener of the National John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Action Day.
