Black Women Leading the Fight For Voting Rights
By Donna M. Owens ·July 23, 2021July 23, 2021Alarmed by a wave of bills sweeping state legislatures around the country and a recent Supreme Court …
Black Women Leading the Fight For Voting Rights
While Black women were among the last to get the right to vote, we have always been on the front lines fighting for voting rights for women and Black people,” said Melanie Campbell, president/CEO of the National Coalition on Black Civic Participation and convener of the Black Women’s Roundtable.
“The tsunami of attacks on our voting rights and the inaction by too many leaders in Congress who appear to be holding our voting rights hostage for partisan gain, has compelled Black women leaders and voting rights advocates to join forces with our allies to demand that federal voting rights legislation be passed now.”
Amazingly, Americans – and Black and brown voters – turned out in record numbers to make their voices heard in 2020. Democrats and voting rights advocates say it resulted in measures designed to create barriers, and they are being put into place at a rapid pace.
However, since the November elections, lawmakers in 49 states have proposed over 400 measures to restrict voting access. They range from eliminating early voting to curbing voting by mail, and even language around handing out water to people standing in line.
This summer has brought activity on multiple fronts. Last week, the National Coalition of Black Civic Participation and the National Council of Negro Women (NCNW) joined forces to help organize a call to action week with more than 40 Black women leaders and advocates nationwide.
Their four days of collective action included a town hall, rally, and a peaceful protest on Capitol Hill with activists such as Tamika Mallory, Black Voters Matter co-founder LaTosha Brown, and Cora Masters Barry.