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The Phoenix Newsletter
A Phoenix Always Rises from Its Ashes....
Get Into #GoodTrouble
“AS LONG AS I HAVE BREATH IN MY BODY, I WILL DO WHAT I CAN.” – Congressman John Lewis, John Lewis: Good Trouble Route to the Polls Step 1: OUTLINE YOUR PERSONAL VOTING DAY PLAN ( J | E | S | U | S -Strategy ) Voting can be more difficult than it should be. Here’s a checklist to make sure you can cast your ballot without incident in November. First, make sure you’re properly registered to vote. Check your registration here. CREATE A PLAN FOR VOTING DAY: Where is your polling location? Are early voting dates and hours available? Do you need ID to Vote? If so what kind? Can you vote by mail or voter absentee ballot? When is your vote by mail due? When will you vote? Mark your calendar. Step 2: KNOW YOUR VOTING RIGHTS ( J | E- Education| S | U | S) Now that you have a plan to vote, it’s important to remember that voting is a RIGHT that you cannot be denied. The ACLU put together a Know Your Rights Tool addressing a few issues you may encounter. Here's the ACLU Know Your Rights information If the polls close while you’re still in line, stay in line – you have the right to vote. If you make a mistake on your ballot, ask for a new one. If the machines are down at your polling place, ask for a paper ballot. If you run into any problems or have questions on Election Day, call the Election Protection Hotline: English: 1-866-OUR-VOTE / 1-866-687-8683 Spanish: 1-888-VE-Y-VOTA / 1-888-839-8682 Arabic: 1-844-YALLA-US / 1-844-925-5287 For Bengali, Cantonese, Hindi, Urdu, Korean, Mandarin, Tagalog, or Vietnamese: 1-888-274-8683 Step 3: Learn about the History Voting Rights Act ( J | E - EDUCATION|S|U|S) It’s hard to overstate the significance of the Voting Rights Act of 1965, and how voter suppression has recently evolved to keep poor people and communities of color from accessing the ballot. What is the Voting Rights Act of 1965? The Voting Rights Act of 1965 is a landmark piece of federal legislation passed to ensure that state and local governments do not deny American citizens the equal right to vote. Voter suppression laws, including grandfather clauses, poll taxes, and literacy tests, were used to block people of color from voting for decades. The Voting Rights Act enforced the 14th and 15th Amendments of the Constitution, which enshrines the right of every American citizen to vote. Learn more about the Voting Rights Act of 1965 and the latest on changes to it here. Step 4: Understand the language of Voter Suppression ( J | E - Education | S | U | S) The language of voter suppression can be confusing. Below are some of the common terms you may hear. These definitions come from the ACLU site and you can learn more here. Voter Registration Restrictions Restricting the terms and requirements of registration is one of the most common forms of voter suppression. Restrictions can include requiring documents to prove citizenship, penalties for voter registration drives, or limiting the window of time in which voters can register. Learn more about how registration restrictions are used as a tactic of suppression or about the restrictions in your state here. Voter ID Laws There are 36 states with some form of government issued photo identification requirement at the polls. This means that over 21 million U.S. citizens are not permitted to vote because ID cards aren’t always accessible for everyone. Voter ID laws have been estimated by the U.S. Government Accountability Office to reduce voter turnout by 2–3 percentage points, translating to tens of thousands of votes lost in a single state. Learn more about voter ID laws here. Step 5: Make Good Trouble ( J | E | S | U - Unity | S | ) Suggestions to get involved leading up to your voting window: Help others check their registration. Encourage your friends, family, neighbors, co-workers, teammates, clubs, and congregation members to check their registration status. It only takes a few minutes. Create a voting day plan and know your rights. Share and host a John Lewis: Good Trouble screening and discussion using this guide with your friends, family, or community groups to pass the baton and carry on the legacy of John Lewis. Write a letter to the editor, blog post, or op-ed about a voter ID-related topic. Write or call your congressperson to ask them to invest in expanding vote by mail and early voting, as well as ensure that in-person polling locations have the resources they need to operate safely and efficiently. Print and post voter information about your state at your local schools, churches or other places of worship, or other civic or community organizations. Volunteer to be a poll worker at your local precinct. Protect the vote as a nonpartisan Poll Watcher. Suggestions to support voter engagement when it’s time to vote: Vote and make sure to tell others as well! Ask them what their plan is to vote and help them make a plan should they need it. Volunteer to drive others to the polls or connect people to free transportation resources to get to the polls. Metro or rideshare services often will offer free or discounted rides on Election Day. Step 6: TAKE THE GOOD TROUBLE PLEDGE Pick the action you’re committing to, then click here to share your pledge to social media and inspire some good trouble. |
Congressman John Lewis’ life’s work has changed the very fabric of this country. Born in the heart of the Jim Crow South, in the shadow of slavery, he saw the profound injustice all around him and knew, from a young age, that he wanted to do something about it. By his late teens, he had joined the first Freedom Riders and later became the chairman of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC), one of the groups responsible for organizing the 1963 March on Washington. On August 28, 1963, on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, John Lewis gave his own rousing speech alongside some of the greatest leaders of the civil rights movement, including Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. But it was March 7, 1965, that etched Congressman Lewis into the American psyche. Known as “Bloody Sunday,” Lewis and fellow activist Hosea Williams led approximately 600 marchers from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama, to protest the insidious racial discrimination that was systematically preventing black citizens from exercising their right to vote. At the Edmund Pettus Bridge, the marchers were met by white demonstrators waving Confederate flags and by state troopers who used brutal force and tear gas to push them back. The entire assault was captured on camera and televised across the country, forcing America to reckon with the horrific racism raging across the South and, ultimately, paving the way for the passage of the 1965 Voting Rights Act. During the protest, John Lewis was hit on the head by a state trooper and suffered a fractured skull. On Bloody Sunday, Lewis risked his life for the right to vote and has since devoted his life to ensuring that every American has access to the ballot box. Unfortunately, Congressman Lewis’ work did not end with the Civil Rights era. In 2013, the Voting Rights Act, for which he shed his blood, was effectively gutted by a Supreme Court decision, Shelby County v. Holder. In the years since, voter suppression targeting communities of color has significantly increased. Congressman Lewis’ life exemplifies how to organize for positive change. “It wasn’t just courage alone that advanced civil rights in this country,” says John Lewis: Good Trouble director Dawn Porter. “It was strategy as well. Far too often, these leaders are lauded only for their bravery. Although that’s certainly important, we also need to recognize that the planning and determination of organizers like John Lewis helped drive the movement to be successful.” The movement continues. JOIN US TO MAKE SOME GOOD TROUBLE! For more on John Lewis and #GoodTrouble, click here.
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What is a Filibuster?
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One of the greatest obstacles to the passage of any civil and voting rights legislation and a vestige of slavery. Literally. Here’s the 60-second explanation: When a bill goes to the Senate, it requires 51 votes to pass -- but that’s only AFTER 60 senators have voted to end debate on the legislation. The filibuster is the mechanism that Senators use to block a vote on a bill or prolong debate, and 60 votes are needed to overcome it. Therefore, many bills that come through the Senate are never even voted on! They stay permanently stuck in debate, even when they have support from a majority of senators. The filibuster has been used historically to block civil rights legislation and has effectively shuttered the landmark For the People Act (H.R. 1) which would expand voting rights, reduce big money influence in campaigns, and limit gerrymandering. Want to know what you can do about the filibuster? Mark your calendar and join us over on Facebook on Monday, May 17 from 8 to 9 pm ET with Senators Elizabeth Warren and Jeff Merkley to talk filibuster reform. Brought to you By: |
"On The Hill"
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