(Name-mce) ListServ 'The Fannie Lou Hamer, Rosa Parks and Coretta Scott King Voting Rights Act Reauthorization and Amendments Act of 2006',

[bill@billhowe.org]

U.S. House Bill H.R. 9 entitled ‘The Fannie Lou Hamer, Rosa Parks and
Coretta Scott King Voting Rights Act Reauthorization and Amendments Act of
2006’, will renew provisions of the 1965 historic act that are set to expire
in 2007.

 

Last month, the legislation was abruptly taken off the House calendar the
morning of a scheduled vote after a small group of southern lawmakers voiced
objections to key provisions.

 

Wednesday, July 12 a coalition of civil rights groups will converge upon the
U.S. Capitol to hold a vigil urging prompt passage, without amendment, of
the Voting Rights Act reauthorization, otherwise known as H.R. 9.

 

The Black Leadership Forum and the National Coalition on Black Civic
Participation will lead the vigil, which will begin at 6 p.m. in front of
the Longworth House Office Building, at the corner of New Jersey Avenue and
South Capitol Street.

 

Originally enacted in 1965, the Voting Rights Act has enfranchised millions
of African American citizens by eliminating discriminatory practices, such
as literacy tests, poll taxes and other means that discourage political
participation.

 

"Our Wednesday vigil aims to shine a major spotlight on one of the most
important civil rights laws, whose protections are as critical now as they
were in the 1960s," said Black Leadership Forum Executive Director Joe
Leonard. "Our nation cannot afford to allow a few dissenting voices to
undermine and reverse years of hard-fought gains. Congressional lawmakers
must resist the few objectors and pass the reauthorization now - not later."

 

Melanie Campbell, executive director for the National Coalition on Black
Civic Participation, referred to the vigil as a testament to the courage and
spirit of the bill's namesakes.

 

"As a nation, we recently mourned the passing of Mrs. Coretta Scott King and
Mrs. Rosa Parks - two of America's fiercest warriors for social change and
justice," she said. "How then, can a bill carrying the names of these brave
and courageous women, coupled with the fire of freedom fighter Fannie Lou
Hamer, not be the beacon for hope, and spirit that each of these women
wished for all Americans, equally."

 

National Urban League President Marc H. Morial and NAACP Legal Defense and
Educational Fund President and Director-Counsel Theodore Shaw will also be
present at the vigil alongside with several other civil rights leaders.

 

"If the Voting Rights Act is going to be preserved with all of its
protections, which have been so essential to guaranteeing participation to
those who have been excluded from American political life, Congress must act
now," Shaw said. "I am confident that this vigil will send a loud and clear
message that the civil rights community won't allow legislative inaction on
this very important piece of legislation."

 

Recent news that the House will address the Voting Rights Act
reauthorization next week has raised hope among the civil rights groups that
Congress will do the right thing and pass the bill soon.

 

"I am hopeful that our vigil will become more of celebration of the bill's
passage than a protest against congressional inaction," Morial observed. "I
want to thank all the U.S. House members who are standing by their
convictions in spite of pressure from a few recalcitrant lawmakers. But the
proof of the strength of those convictions still lies in their ability to
get the legislation to a House floor vote and passed."

 

Three of the Voting Rights Act's key provisions will expire in September of
2007, if the legislation is not acted upon. Section 5 requires covered
jurisdictions with a long history of voting discrimination to obtain
approval or "preclearance" before making any changes to their voting
practices. Section 203 requires certain jurisdictions to provide language
assistance to voters in areas with high concentrations of citizens with
limited English proficiency and illiteracy rates higher than the national
average. And Sections 6-9 authorize the federal government to use observers
in elections to monitor Voting Rights Act compliance and document abuses.

 

National Urban League is the nation's oldest and largest community-based
movement devoted to empowering African Americans to enter the economic and
social mainstream. Founded in 1912, the National Urban League, headquartered
in New York City, spearheads the non-partisan efforts of its local
affiliates. There are over 100 local affiliates of the National Urban League
located in 35 states and the District of Columbia providing direct services
to more than 2 million people nationwide through programs, advocacy and
research.

 

The Black Leadership Forum, Inc. is a confederation of the leadership of 28
of the nation's most prominent and prestigious civil rights and service
organizations. Member organizations include the NAACP, Southern Christian
Leadership Conference, National Council of Negro Women, among others.
Founded in 1977, the forum's mission is to promote creative and coordinated
black leadership, diverse in membership but clear on its priority, to
empower African Americans to improve their own lives and to expand their
opportunities to fully participate in American social, economic and
political life.

 

The National Coalition on Black Civic Participation is a national
non-profit, non-partisan civic coalition of over 80 member organizations
dedicated to enhancing the full participation of the Black community in all
levels of civil society. Over its 30-year history, NCBCP has served as an
effective convener and facilitator at the local, state and national levels
of efforts to address the disenfranchisement of African Americans and other
marginalized communities. For more information please visit these websites:

 

National Coalition on Black Civic Participation http://www.ncbcp.org 

 

National Urban League web site http://www.nul.org 


Bill Howe 
http://www.billhowe.org - Multicultural Educators to South Africa 2006 -
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Past-President 
National Association for Multicultural Education (NAME)
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