Big rally at U.S. Supreme Court WEDNESDAY (same time as Rosa Parks statue dedication)
Supreme Court Rally to Protect Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act
Voters, Activists, Members of Congress, and Civil Rights Leaders to Stand Up to Protect Real Voters from Discrimination
For Immediate Release
Contact: Scott Westbrook Simpson
(Washington, D.C.) On Wednesday, February 27th, individuals, organizations and institutions committed to protecting the rights of all voters will rally at the U.S. Supreme Court. The rally is scheduled for the day of oral argument in Shelby County v. Holder, a case challenging Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act (VRA). People whose right to vote was protected by Section 5 in the 2012 election will also be in attendance.
The VRA is a landmark law that has been reauthorized four times by Congress and repeatedly upheld by the Supreme Court. Section 5 is a proven tool to stop real attempts at voter discrimination and ensure that all Americans have the right to take part in our democracy.
Impacted voters whose rights were protected by Section 5 will be on-hand for interviews. More information is available at www.protectthevra.org.
Quote from Wade Henderson, President and CEO, The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights:
“This rally will reinforce to the Court that the Voting Rights Act protects real voters from discrimination, from Alabama to Alaska. Legal precedent is already on our side and this rally will demonstrate that the American people are on our side as well. We encourage all people who cherish the right to vote to join us on the steps of the Supreme Court on February 27th.”
RALLY DETAILS:
WHERE: RALLY STEPS OF THE U.S. SUPREME COURT
WHEN: WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 27TH — 9:00 AM TO 1:00 PM / HEIGHT OF RALLY EXPECTED AFTER 11:00 AM
RELATED PRESS EVENTS ON FEBRUARY 27TH:
CONGRESSIONAL PRESS CONFERENCE ON COURT STEPS – 8:30 AM TO 9:00 AM
[Contact Femi Kirby - Ayofemi.Kirby@mail.house.gov – 202.226.6715]
POST-ARGUMENT PRESS CALL WITH NAACP LDF, ACLU, AND LAWYERS’ COMMITTEE– 1:30 PM TO 2:30 PM
[Contacts: ValerieHolford@starpower.net – SRoyster@lawyerscommittee.org – VJaksic@ACLU.org]
RALLY SPONSORS [List in Formation]:
A.Philip Randolph Institute
AAPD
Advancement Project
African American Ministers in Action
AFSCME
Alliance for Justice
American Federation of Teachers
Asian American Justice Center
The Asian American Legal Defense & Education Fund
Black Leadership Forum
Black Youth Vote!
Brennan Center for Justice
Bridge Crossing Jubilee
Center for Community Change
Conference of National Black Churches
Congressional Black Caucus Foundation
Generational Alliance
Labor Council for Latin American Advancement
LatinoJustice PRLDEF
Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law
Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights
League of Women Voters
LULAC
MALDEF
NAACP
NAACP National Voter Fund
NAFEO
NALEO Educational Fund
National Action Network
National Association of Social Workers
National Black Law Students Association
National Coalition on Black Civic Participation
National Congress of American Indians
National Council of La Raza
National Council of Negro Women
National Council on Independent Living
National Urban League
National Voting Rights Museum and Institute
People for the American Way
Planned Parenthood Federation of America
Planned Parenthood of Metro Washington
Rainbow PUSH
Rock the Vote
Save Ourselves Summit
SCLC
SEIU
SEIU 1199
Shelby County Community
Southern Poverty Law Center
Trinity United Church of Christ
United Auto Workers
United Farm Workers
Indeed,we should Rally at the Supreme Court on Voting Rights Case.It seems as though every time we take a step forward,we somehow have another hurdle to jump over…Case in Point: Sequestration.”The chaos set to be unleashed overthe next month through the implementation of Sequestration budget cuts beginning today is not an accident…For a large part of the Republican Party and the secretive billionaires that fund them,the disruptive shockwave that will be caused by investing less in historically marginalized communities is the point.”Since the[1970s] through ideas which can only be thought of as flawed and eccentric…An ideological band has championed an end to the Education,Health,Transportation and Housing Programs that have made America more economically fair.”Now at the heart of the GOP,this group argues that these very economic justice initiatives have instead created a ”culture of dependency”which they want to dissolve by using Sequestration…”In point of fact Sequestration is just an extension of a broader strategy which they call”Starve The Beast”…The aim of”Starve The Beast”a rather unfortunate metaphor given Racial Stereotypes from the Worst of America’s Past…is to deny The Federal Government Capital in order to bring about its Collapse.”Making and Taking”…Adherents to ”Starve The Beast”…Which include House Majority Leader Eric Cantor and House Budget Committee Chair Paul Ryan…Believe that America is divided between”Makers”and ”Takers”…In their World View the ”Makers”are the drivers of the Nation’s Economic Growth…But they’re being held back by the”Takers”…increasingly Black and Brown who misused The Democratic Process to Hijack The Government and funnel money away from the”Makers”through taxes…Cantor himself echoed this very point during the fight over The Debt Ceiling in[2011]….This may sound strange to the rest of us but to them its the truth…We will hold every Representative Responsible and Accountable.
Sequestration: ”Starve The Beast”followers argue that the economic interests of the country and of the”Makers”are one in the same…They want the Government to fall back and they want the”Takers”put in their place…Only then will America truly prosper,or so the thinking goes…In order to reach this Anti-Democratic Future,their plans call for the Federal Government to return to its basic core functions;similar to those at the time of Nation’s Birth in[1776]…Sticking to the areas of Defense and Foreign Affairs[80%] of the Federal Government would disappear…How could this come about? Through huge tax cuts and massive debt.”Starve The Beast”adherents contend that tax cuts would deprive the Government of Revenue,and gradually shift resources to the”Makers…”With less income over time,the Government would Rack up Enormous Debts…The combination of tax cuts and a pile of IOUs would eventully force the Government to eliminate most of its activities…Ayn Rand whose White Supremacist Views were woven throughout her writings attracted a band of towering intellectuals in the[1950s,and 1960s]who felt increasingly out of touch with an America that was Diversifying in every single way…All Elected Officials Will be Held Responsible and Accountable.