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facebookWashington, D.C.—Congressman Charles B. Rangel issued the following statement commemorating the 47th anniversary of the Voting Rights Act:
"Today marks the 47th anniversary of the Voting Rights Act, landmark legislation passed in 1965 which guaranteed the right to vote for all American citizens -- regardless of their color.
When I marched 54 miles with Dr. King from Selma to Montgomery, blacks across the South were effectively barred from registering to vote, and if they somehow managed to register, the chances of them actually being able to vote were minimal. That all changed with the Voting Rights Act, passed only months later. The Voting Rights Act recognized these fundamental truths: that the people who lead the government and those it represents are all people, equally deserving of the right to vote, regardless of their race.
We have passed the time when great swaths of our population were unjustly denied the right to vote. But still, we must remain ever vigilant to prevent any instances of voter suppression. States across the country are attempting or have succeeded at implementing rules like voter ID, which keep people away from voting. So on this anniversary of the signing of the Voting Rights Act, let’s not just remember how far we have come in terms of racial justice, but how far we still have to go. Our union may never be perfect, but we can do our best to perfect it. Let’s get to work."
